Tag: Odell Beckham Jr

Respectfully, Odell Beckham Jr. should consider retiring after Dolphins release

Let it go, OBJ.

Respectfully, it’s time for Odell Beckham Jr. to retire.

Beckham could have walked off into the sunset after he won a ring with the Rams, and not a soul would have judged him. He had nothing left to prove. I  understand feeling like something is left in the tank, wanting to play the game he loves and provide for his family. All of those are admirable reasons to keep going. But now, it is abundantly clear that it’s the end of the road. After asking to be released from the Dolphins, Beckham will be on his sixth team when he signs somewhere new and his fourth organization within the last three years.

Unfortunately, thanks to Father Time and awful injuries, the production isn’t the same, and he’ll only be paid a fraction of what he’s truly worth by continuing. It’s time to let it go. Football will always remember Beckham as one of the most dynamic receivers in recent memory who gave us THAT ICONIC CATCH. We’ve been truly fortunate to witness his greatness. Here’s a look back at some of his best moments:

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Is now the right time for the Saints to sign Odell Beckham Jr.?

Odell Beckham Jr. has flirted with the Saints before, saying they were the right team at the wrong time. Now that he’s been waived again, should they bring him in?

Odell Beckham Jr. has flirted with the New Orleans Saints before, saying they were the right team at the wrong time for him. Now that he’s being waived by the Miami Dolphins, should his hometown team bring him in?

It’s tough to see them meeting his criteria. Beckham wants a larger role than he’s had on the Dolphins (12 targets and 9 catches for 55 yards across 9 games), which the Saints could offer him given all their injuries at the position. But if he wants to join a playoff contender, that’s not where New Orleans stands at 5-8. Teams he’s played for in the past like the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens are both in the thick of the playoff race and those reunions might be more appealing.

Here’s where it gets tricky. Beckham is going on waivers like every other veteran this time of the year. That means he won’t have his choice of teams as a free agent unless he clears the waiver wire. A team that claims him (like the Saints) would be on the hook for about $200,000 for the final four games which easily fits under the salary cap. He isn’t really in a position to protest a landing spot given his low numbers this year, especially if the reason he sought a release from Miami was more targets on another team.

Let’s keep it real: Beckham isn’t the same player he once was. He’s 32 and hasn’t averaged even 50 yards per game since 2019. But the Saints need more help at receiver and it doesn’t seem like Chris Olave or Rashid Shaheed are coming back any time soon. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has had success since joining the Saints (he currently leads the team with four touchdown catches this season, in just five games), so maybe Beckham could see a resurgence, too. You just have to wonder what his other goals are and whether he has any interest ending the year on a team dealing with instability at quarterback.

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Former Browns WR looking for fourth team since leaving Cleveland

Odell Beckham Jr. is a free agent. Again.

Former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has a well-documented and tumultuous past in Northeast Ohio.

Under former general manager John Dorsey, the Browns traded a first round pick, a third round pick, and starting safety Jabrill Peppers to the New York Giants for the services of Beckham Jr. back in 2018. His time in Cleveland was short-lived on the field.

Despite racking up 1,000 yards in his first season, Beckham Jr. tore his ACL in 2020. He took his time getting back onto the field for the Browns in 2021, and when he did, the chemistry between he and Baker Mayfield was lacking. This led to the infamous YouTube video being posted on social media by Beckham Jr.’s dad, his request for release, his granted release, and his subsequent signing where he went on to win a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.

Beckham Jr. did, however, tear his ACL again in the Super Bowl with the Rams. He was sidelined in 2022 before signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. After little production in Baltimore, Beckham Jr. entered free agency again this year, signing a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins.

After just nine catches in nine games this season, Beckham Jr. once again requested his release to find a better opportunity and the Dolphins obliged.

For a wide receiver who exploded onto the scenes as a rookie with the New York Giants in 2014, Beckham Jr.’s career has turned quite lopsided. He will now search for his sixth career team, fourth since leaving Cleveland.

WATCH: Foster Moreau makes must-see one-handed catch vs. Giants

WATCH: Foster Moreau makes must-see one-handed catch vs. Giants

Foster Moreau and the New Orleans Saints offense have had little issue taking care of business against a struggling New York Giants team that has been bitten even worse by the injury bug than New Orleans has.

Moreau made a one-handed grab look easy on a 2nd and 12 play from midfield late in the third quarter. As of roughly halfway through the fourth quarter, Moreau had caught a pair of passes from quarterback Derek Carr for a total of 40 yards. The former LSU tight end entered the contest with 17 catches for 223 yards with three touchdowns on the season so far.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s famous one-handed catch at MetLife Stadium has been a fixture of NFL highlight reels for most of a decade. It’s fitting that another former LSU Tiger would make a one-handed grab of his own.

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Dolphins WR Odell Beckham Jr. to begin season on PUP list

Odell Beckham Jr. will be out of action to begin the year, according to reports.

Odell Beckham Jr. will begin the 2024 season on the Miami Dolphins’ physically unable to perform (PUP) list, ruling him out for at least four games, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

Beckham, 31, spent all of training camp and preseason on the PUP list due to an undisclosed offseason procedure that the Dolphins were aware of when they signed him.

On Monday, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel revealed that three players who were on the PUP list — Bradley Chubb, Cam Goode, and Isaiah Wynn — would all stay there to begin the year. He said there was a chance that Beckham would be moved to the active roster, but there was “more information required” before the decision would be made.

The receiver signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins that was largely incentive-laden, meaning his absence early in the year will make it difficult for Beckham to receive the full value of his contract. If he can’t eclipse 35 receptions, 565 yards, and/or three touchdowns, Beckham will receive just $3 million from Miami.

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When will Michael Thomas sign with a new team for 2024?

When will Michael Thomas sign with a new team for 2024? The ex-New Orleans Saint is still waiting for his next opportunity:

Take a look at the list of former New Orleans Saints players still searching for a new team in 2024 and one name stand apart from the rest: Michael Thomas. The former NFL Offensive Player of the Year and two-time All-Pro fell off hard after a series of complicated injuries and frustrating surgeries interrupted what looked like a Hall of Fame-worthy career.

And now, months after a high-profile split with the only NFL team he’s played for, Thomas is still waiting for his next opportunity. There isn’t another free agent with his credentials, but that injury history and public criticism of his coach, quarterback, and team training staff may have cooled interest he’d otherwise find on the open market.

Thomas is 31. He’s coming off another season-ending injury which he chalks up to a bad ball from Derek Carr. He’s only been available for 13 of the Saints’ 51 games since the 2020 season, when his ankle was painfully rolled up on while blocking in a blowout win, which started this whole mess. Thomas played through the injury to support Drew Brees in his last year before retirement, but he missed the entire 2021 season recovering from surgery. He went down with another injury three games into 2022, and was sidelined for the last seven games of 2023.

There aren’t many cases like his, but one situation to consider is Odell Beckham Jr. Like Thomas, he’s 31 years old and a three-time Pro Bowler, with a pair of All-Pro nods and an Offensive Rookie of the Year award to his name. He’s also caught 566 passes in his career compared to 565 for Thomas, though in 27 more games for four different teams. And Beckham has twice suffered serious knee injuries by tearing his ACL.

The second time happened in Super Bowl LVI, causing him to miss the subsequent 2022 season in recovery. Beckham didn’t sign with a team until well after the start of free agency in 2023, meeting with the Baltimore Ravens at NFL owners meetings in the spring, and he turned in a modest performance last season with 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns. Compare that to what Thomas posted with the Saints — 39 receptions, 448 yards, and a single touchdown. Beckham went on to sign with the Miami Dolphins this offseason.

So does this mean Thomas may have to sit out the 2024 season before finding a new team, like Beckham did? Probably not. We don’t know how far along he is in recovery from last year’s injury but it was never expected to put him on ice for multiple seasons. But we may not see any movement until training camp. If there aren’t many suitors, or if Thomas is being selective about his next opportunity, it could take a while for him to find the right fit.

Either way, it’s so disappointing to see his career end up here. Thomas was on track to break every receiving record in Saints history while leaving his mark on NFL history. That injuries and personal conflicts have derailed what should have been something special. Time will tell where Thomas catches his next football. It’s just too bad it won’t happen while he’s wearing black and gold.

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Top available NFL free agents represent very slim pickings for the Lions

There are very few available NFL free agents who hold any appeal at all for the Detroit Lions after the 2024 NFL draft

Sometimes the path doesn’t lead where you expect to walk…

Originally, I set out here to write a piece on some number of current NFL free agents who can help the Detroit Lions. I pulled up one available player list to find some potential names, and then another. And another. After looking at three lists, I had exactly four players written down.

“That can’t be right,” I thought. The Lions still have some holes to fill across the roster. While the starting 22 is pretty set in stone, or at least features worthy players competing, the depth at positions like wide receiver, offensive tackle and safety remains concerning. Surely there are some veteran free agents who can help!

And then I referenced another free agent ranking list, thinking maybe I missed something. Nope. So I walked away and dove into a different project, hoping that coming back later with a fresh perspective might lead to more beneficial conclusions on the free agent front.

In that time, one of the top free agent wide receivers, Odell Beckham Jr., signed with the Dolphins. Beckham is a player I know well from when I covered his Browns days, and I generally like and respect OBJ for both his game and his misunderstood persona. But it got me thinking about whether Beckham would even be an upgrade in Detroit.

The short answer: Nope.

Beckham has battled a lot of injuries over the years, from torn ACLs to core muscle surgeries, that have left him a shell of how a lot of fans remember him from his Giants prime. It might surprise Lions fans that Detroit’s own Kalif Raymond has more catches (130 to 79) for more yards (1,681 to 1,102) and fewer drops (five to six) than Beckham over the last three seasons.

Raymond is projected to be the Lions’ No. 4 wideout in 2024, behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Donovan Peoples-Jones. If you want to argue that Raymond belongs ahead of Peoples-Jones, I wouldn’t find fault. The larger point remains that in the Lions offense, continuity and chemistry matter a lot, and the incumbent foursome has that. Beckham has rather famously struggled to adjust to changing offenses and passers, something I watched firsthand with Baker Mayfield and then Matthew Stafford (in L.A.).

OBJ might sell more jerseys and be more recognizable than Kalif Raymond or Donovan Peoples-Jones, but that doesn’t make him a better player for Detroit in 2024.

The same is true for some of the bigger-named free agents still out there at other positions. Take Stephon Gilmore, a prominent name at cornerback who plays in the same style the Lions like to run. Gilmore turns 34 in September and is coming off shoulder surgery in January. He’s been on four teams in as many seasons and is looking for a fifth, and he’s never really recovered from the speed he lost after a torn quad in the 2020 season.

I’d rather see what his brother, Steven, can do in Detroit than pay for what Stephon used to be five years and two serious injuries ago. I feel the same about bringing a guard like Dalton Risner to be a reserve; let’s see what Colby Sorsdal, Giovanni Manu and Christian Mahogany can do on bargain-basement contracts and some developmental coaching instead.

Nothing against Risner, who is probably a better player today than anyone else the Lions have in reserve at guard. Will that still be true in November? And how much would that impact the development of the younger guys, or possibly even expose them to waivers from another team because there’s one less roster spot for them?

The Lions have done such a good job at crafting a culture and developing talent that it’s difficult to give up on younger talent with a more promising long-term future. Bringing in a wideout effectively means the team is giving up on 2023 draftee Antoine Green. Bringing in a defensive tackle is potentially throwing in the towel on Brodric Martin, Levi Onwuzurike, or sixth-round rookie Mekhi Wingo. Looking at the list of available names, there’s no guarantee anyone currently available is better in Detroit in 2024 than any of those guys.

The only four available free agents I’d have any real interest in signing right now–before any minicamp or early training camp injuries–are all on defense. Safety Justin Simmons, EDGE Carl Lawson, safety Quandre Diggs and safety Micah Hyde all make some sense if the price is right: one-year deals with low guaranteed salaries and no assurance of playing time, nothing more. The 2023 versions of Lawson and Diggs aren’t better than anyone already presumably on the 53-man roster, either.

Maybe it’s just the afterglow of a good Lions draft. Maybe I’m too confident in the revamped coaching staff in the secondary and defensive line spots. Maybe I’m undervaluing some of the veteran free agents, or some motley stew of all those factors. Maybe I’ll feel differently after seeing the newcomers in action in the coming minicamps. But I’m just not feeling the appeal of the available free agents for Detroit, not right now.

 

Odell Beckham Jr has crawfish boil with Duke Riley to celebrate Dolphins deal

Odell Beckham Jr. and Duke Riley, who were once teammates at LSU, celebrated the receiver’s new deal Louisiana style.

Odell Beckham Jr. is set to become the newest member of the Miami Dolphins after reportedly reaching terms on a one-year contract with the team Friday.

Early that morning, a couple hours before news of the deal broke, Beckham posted on his Instagram story that he was training with Dolphins linebacker Duke Riley, who was once his college teammate. So with the two LSU alumni together when the deal got done Friday, naturally, they celebrated Louisiana style with a crawfish boil.

Riley and Beckham only spent the 2013 season together at LSU when the linebacker was a true freshman and the receiver was a junior. Beckham then entered the 2014 NFL draft and later became the Offensive Rookie of the Year with the New York Giants.

Another former teammate of Beckham’s, Jalen Ramsey, also celebrated the signing Friday. The seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback and Beckham were both members of the Los Angeles Rams when the team won Super LVI at the end of the 2021 season.

Last season, Beckham was a member of the Baltimore Ravens after sitting out the entire 2022 season. In his only season with Baltimore, Beckham caught 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns.

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Chris Grier says ‘nothing in the works’ to sign Odell Beckham Jr.

Dolphins GM Chris Grier says a deal with Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t coming any time soon.

The Miami Dolphins are not close to signing free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. any time soon, general manager Chris Grier told reporters Tuesday.

“Nothing imminent on it,” Grier said at a pre-draft press conference. “We’ve had some discussions back and forth a little bit, but as of right now, there’s nothing in the works to get anything done.”

Beckham, 31, visited the Dolphins in March shortly after becoming a free agent. Shortly after the visit, Miami head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that the team was working toward bringing the receiver to South Florida.

“I’m definitely ready to coach him if we can come to an agreement, and I think both sides are trying to work towards that,” McDaniel said.

Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill stoked the flames earlier this month when he posted on social media that Beckham joining the Dolphins was “confirmed.” Beckham tweeted that he was “confused” by suggestions that he signed with a team.

While Miami has a pair of electric receivers in Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the team struggled to find production from another receiver in 2023. Tight end Durham Smythe was the team’s third leading receiver with 366 yards, while Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Braxton Berrios both finished with less than 300 yards.

Beckham played with the Baltimore Ravens during the 2023 season and finished the year with 35 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns.

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Dolphins reportedly ‘trying pretty hard’ to sign Odell Beckham Jr.

The Dolphins’ pursuit of Odell Beckham Jr. is reportedly ongoing.

The Miami Dolphins are “trying pretty hard” to sign free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

“They’ve made him at least one contract offer, possibly two,” Fowler said on NFL Live on Friday. “They’ve been in contact with [Beckham] and his representatives; they’re not quite there yet. There has not been that financial gulf bridged. Odell Beckham is willing to wait if he has to a little a bit, he has done this in the past. He wants to go to the right fit. But there’s interest mutually in Miami.”

Beckham receiving a contract offer from the Dolphins isn’t a new development. Miami head coach Mike McDaniel said as much when he spoke to reporters at the NFL annual meeting in March.

Talks of the receiver joining the Dolphins ramped up Friday when wide receiver Tyreek Hill posted on social media “OBJ to Miami confirmed.” Beckham seemingly reacted to the media storm set off by Hill with a tweet that said he was “confused” to hear his name pop up Friday.

Still, it seems a very real possibility that the Dolphins will add Beckham to their receiving corps after struggling to find production out of anyone other than Hill and Jaylen Waddle during the 2023 season.

Beckham, 31, finished last season with 35 receptions for 565 and three touchdowns while with the Baltimore Ravens. He sat out the entire 2022 season after suffering an ACL tear in Super Bowl LVI.

In nine NFL seasons, Beckham has earned three trips to the Pro Bowl and has 566 career receptions for 7,932 yards and 59 touchdowns.

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