Odell Beckham Jr. has the potential to be one of the bigger remaining free-agent bargains.
While Beckham never quite became a full-time contributor in the Ravens‘ offense last season, the 31-year-old still finished the 2023 campaign averaging 16.1 yards per reception while catching 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns in an explosive collection of offensive weapons.
But, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes the New Orleans Saints could be an ideal destination for Odell Beckham Jr. for the 2024 season.
“Call me a romantic,” Barnwell writes for ESPN. “But, getting Beckham back home would be a natural way for the former LSU star to wind down his NFL career. The Saints have a need for a second wideout after releasing Michael Thomas. Rashid Shaheed will take more snaps as the team’s designated deep threat and Cedrick Wilson is in town after disappointing over the last two years in Miami, but Beckham would fit in as part of the rotating cast behind third-year star Chris Olave, especially if the price tag is about half of what it was for the Ravens a year ago.”
What Odell Beckham Jr. Would Bring New Orleans Saints
Odell Beckham Jr. might not be the same player that he was for the New York Giants, early in his career, or as a key cog in the Los Angeles Rams’ finishing stretch in a run to the Super Bowl in 2021. But, he still offers upside for a receiving corps in transition, such as the Saints’.
Similarly to his time in Baltimore, where Beckham was instrumental in rookie Zay Flowers’ explosive emergence, the veteran could play a leadership role alongside Chris Olave while contributing snaps as a deep-threat in quarterback Derek Carr’s arsenal.
As Pro Football Focus points out, Lamar Jackson posted a strong 96.5 passer rating when targeting Beckham last season, who averaged a whopping 4.5 yards after the catch per reception and was charged with just one dropped pass.
The Saints’ offense never quite established an identity nor Carr much consistency in 2023, but Beckham Jr. could be an intriguing piece toward 2024 going much more differently on both accounts.
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