Tag: Odell Beckham

Troy Aikman is way off with his take on Odell Beckham Jr. and Matthew Stafford

Troy Aikman is way off for thinking Matthew Stafford may already feel pressured to get Odell Beckham Jr. the ball.

Odell Beckham Jr. has been a member of the Rams for less than a week. He didn’t arrive in Los Angeles until Friday and put pen to paper on Saturday before suiting up against the 49ers Monday night.

He’s had very little time to get acclimated in his new city, which is why his role was so limited in the Rams’ 31-10 loss to San Francisco. He played 15 of a possible 56 snaps, only running 11 routes and catching two passes for 18 yards.

It was the quiet debut that many expected him to have, although the critics did immediately come out in droves after Matthew Stafford threw an opening-drive interception on a deep shot to Beckham.

Troy Aikman was among them, it seems, questioning Beckham’s impact on Stafford and the Rams offense as a whole. He was on “The Musers” on 1310 AM radio in Dallas on Tuesday morning and said he thinks Stafford might already feel pressure to get the ball to Beckham the way Baker Mayfield supposedly did.

“Matthew Stafford throws an interception on the opening possession because he’s trying to get the ball down to OBJ,” Aikman said, as transcribed by Mark Lane of Texans Wire. “Whether he stopped on the route or not, he’s not going to complete that pass. There’s two defenders back there. But I think Matthew now feels some of the pressure that maybe Baker Mayfield felt of, hey, we got to get this guy involved, or he’s in the game right now because he’s going to take this deep route and I’ve got to find a way to get this ball in his hands because that’s why he’s playing on this play. It’s not good, and it’s not good playing quarterback when you feel pressure to get the ball to one particular player. It just doesn’t work. So, I don’t know. Maybe they can pull themselves out of it and get it going. But that was a beatdown last night.”

Let’s start by saying Aikman is way off with this take. Beckham ran 11 routes. He was targeted three times, twice on the opening drive – including on the first offensive play when Stafford threw a quick pass to him on a hitch route.

There’s absolutely nothing to suggest Beckham is already demanding the ball or that Stafford feels pressured to target him. Again, he ran ELEVEN routes in the entire game and was targeted three times.

Does Aikman really think that in his first three days with the team, Beckham is demanding touches and more opportunities? Stafford has been spreading the ball around all season, even leaning heavily on Cooper Kupp.

Yet, just because Beckham is now a member of the Rams, Stafford is going to change his entire approach to get him the ball? That’s hard to fathom, especially this early in Beckham’s tenure.

In addition to this being a concern for Aikman, the Hall of Fame quarterback sees “a lot of red flags” with the Rams as a whole. He called Robert Woods one of the five best receivers in the NFL, and “a lot of days when I watch him, he might be the guy I take first with the things that he does,” Aikman added. So he sees the loss of Woods as a major blow, as does everyone else.

Furthermore, he worries about the impact of Beckham and Von Miller on the overall team chemistry because they’re coming in to take snaps away from other players.

He questions whether the Rams have gone too far with the recent additions of Beckham and Miller, shaking up the locker room too much at this point in the season.

“I’ve liked a lot of what they’ve done, but the last few moves, I don’t want to say ‘desperation’ because I don’t feel that way. But I definitely got the feeling watching them last night that it has totally shook the chemistry and the foundation and the bedrock of this football team. And that happens,” he said. “You bring in just one player you bring into the locker room, it can change the dynamic of a locker room. Let’s just say you have players who — if you bring in a player, then someone’s not going to play, right? I mean, you’re bringing in a guy and he’s going to play. And then someone then is not going to be playing as much, and they’re not to be too happy. Well, if that player is not going to be playing as much is a popular player in the locker room, or has four or five really close friends, hey, he was doing pretty good. And then that starts trickling around. And then you have that and it creates cliques within. So, that’s what I sensed last night. Maybe they’ve gone a little bit too far.”

The Rams’ last two losses are definitely concerning, but Aikman seems to be hitting the panic button a bit early. They’re 7-3, have a really talented roster and a quarterback who’s more than capable of righting the ship.

They’ll most likely be fine because more often than not, talent wins out in the NFL – and the Rams have plenty of it.

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Odell Beckham Jr. reminds Jalen Ramsey of himself

Jalen Ramsey says Odell Beckham Jr. reminds him of himself, but on offense.

After Odell Beckham Jr. was waived by the Browns, he was given the opportunity to choose any of the teams that emerged as suitors for him. He wound up picking the Rams, joining a star-studded team with a good chance to win the Super Bowl this year.

Jalen Ramsey was a big part of the recruiting pitch that helped lure Beckham to Los Angeles, getting the receiver on FaceTime before practice and encouraging him to sign with the Rams. Ramsey hasn’t been shy about recruiting players to the Rams when they become available and in the case of Beckham, he saw a receiver who could help the offense.

He even sees a little bit of himself in Beckham.

“Just knowing him personally. He reminds me of like myself, but like offensively. Just his mentality, his will and ambition to be great. And then obviously, he’s gifted – like God has gifted him,” Ramsey said last week. “I know he’s a hard worker as well, it’s not just that he has the talent, but he has the will to develop it and make it a strong skillset for him. So as a receiver, he can do everything. It reminded me of our receivers that we have here already who can do everything. Knowing him and knowing his ambition to win and want to be the best, usually those type of guys like being surrounded by other guys like that.”

Ramsey said he doesn’t know what role he played in helping the Rams land Beckham, but he did say he wants to be teammates with “anybody who I feel is good” – and clearly he thinks Beckham fits that bill.

Chargers safety Derwin James is also in that category for Ramsey as a player he would love to play with. He was partly joking about trying to get him on the Rams, given his contract status with L.A.’s other team.

“If you don’t try, you can’t succeed. So, I just try it,” Ramsey said of recruiting players to L.A. “I’m still working on other people too. You never know. I’m trying to get Derwin in here next. You never know. So no, I’m just joking, but I’m not.”

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Rams officially announce Odell Beckham Jr.’s jersey number

Odell Beckham Jr. will have a new number with the Rams, going back to what he wore in college at LSU.

Odell Beckham Jr. has worn No. 13 his entire career in the NFL, carrying it over from the Giants to the Browns. But with John Wolford wearing that number in Los Angeles, he’ll be making a change for the rest of this season.

The Rams announced Beckham’s jersey number and he’s going back to what he wore in college at LSU. He’ll wear No. 3 thanks to the NFL’s new rule allowing receivers and other skill players to wear single-digit numbers.

We already know it looks good on him but it’ll be exciting to see him finally suit up in a full uniform when he takes the field for the Rams – whenever that may be.

Report: Odell Beckham Jr.’s jersey number was a holdup in talks with Rams

Odell Beckham Jr. was interested in wearing No. 1, 3 and 13 with the Rams, but there were hurdles with each.

The Rams still haven’t officially announced Odell Beckham Jr.’s jersey number, even though he was spotted wearing No. 3 in his first practice with the team on Saturday. John Wolford is currently wearing his old number, 13, and Wolford has already changed his number from 9 to 3 to 13 this year.

According to Adam Schefter, Beckham’s jersey number was one of the only holdups before he signed with the Rams.

One of the only holdups, according to sources, came when the sides discussed which jersey number Beckham would wear. Beckham discussed wearing Nos. 1, 3 and 13, but there were issues with each.

No. 1 was recently worn by DeSean Jackson and isn’t currently occupied. Cam Akers plans to switch from No. 23 to 3 next year, “and Beckham and the Rams would like their relationship to go beyond this year,” Schefter wrote. Wolford is wearing 13, so Beckham agreed to wear No. 3 this season before switching to 13 if he re-signs with the Rams in 2022.

Akers’ tweet on Saturday seems to suggest Beckham will indeed only wear 3 temporarily.

Schefter added that the Rams plan to try to re-sign both Beckham and Von Miller in the offseason as both players are only on one-year deals.

Odell Beckham Jr. shares why he chose the Rams

Odell Beckham Jr. discussed why he chose the Rams and how he’s getting caught up in L.A.

Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t get claimed off waivers after the Browns released him but he had suitors when he was a free agent. The Rams were late players in the sweepstakes for Beckham but they won out by signing him to a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million.

The Seahawks, Saints, Patriots, Packers and Steelers were all interested in the former Pro Bowl receiver but he chose the Rams, giving himself a good chance to win a ring this season. During his press conference on Saturday, he explained why he picked Los Angeles, saying he felt it in his heart and soul.

“I took a lot of time in the decision-making, and it wasn’t to build anticipation or nothing. This is my life,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been through a lot and I’m at a point in my life where I’m ready to play football and I’ve dedicated, sacrificed a lot to be here. It just happened that this felt right in my heart, in my soul. I prayed on it, sat back by the fires, just sat in silence, and just tried to listen to what God was telling me, and it just happened to be here. This is a tremendous team, 7-2. Have a great opportunity to do some great things and I just wanted to be a part of it.”

Beckham added that “it just feels right about the offense here” and that “they flow.” He’s still learning the playbook and getting up to speed with his new team, taking it day by day in preparation of making his debut.

He’s obviously behind everyone else after not having training camp and practices each week, so he’ll need to learn quickly.

“Right now, just taking it minute by minute, hour by hour,” he said. “Never been to a different team in the middle of a season. Guys have been through training camp – you’ve bonded, you’ve come together as a team. It’s definitely a different feeling, but we’re all pros and I just have to be a pro in this situation and find ways to get acclimated and get the plays and everything down as fast as I can and do the best to help this team find ways to win.”

Beckham’s role will be bigger than expected after Robert Woods suffered a torn ACL in practice, likely stepping in as a starter right away. He said he has “no words” for how heartbreaking it is to see Woods go down, adding that they’re “big shoes to fill” in L.A.

Beckham feels a greater sense of urgency now with Woods out.

“You definitely feel that. It’s just tough,” he said. “I didn’t even know what happened until I got the phone call later and they said it. And like I said, it’s just very disheartening. There’s no words to describe that feeling, but definitely a sense of urgency when you’re in the race right now. You got to find ways to continue to win. So, whatever I can do to help.”

Beckham is expected to make his debut against the 49ers on Monday night, potentially contributing as a punt returner, too. After this week, he’ll have a bye, too, which will give him more time to learn the playbook and offense.

Odell Beckham Jr. may return punts in Rams debut Monday

The Rams badly need a punt returner and they could turn to Odell Beckham Jr. on Monday night.

The Rams have struggled in the return game all season, dealing with injuries and ineffectiveness on special teams throughout the year. Tutu Atwell is injured and the Rams have resorted to using Cooper Kupp in fair catch situations, searching for a full-time returner.

They may have found one in Odell Beckham Jr. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Rams could use Beckham as a punt returner on Monday night against the 49ers in his debut.

Beckham has only returned one punt since 2019 but he’s electric in the open field with the ball in his hands. Schefter reports he could be an occasional returner as part of a special package of plays for the wideout in his first game with the Rams.

Odell Beckham Jr. will make Rams debut Monday vs. 49ers

Odell Beckham Jr. will suit up with the Rams for the first time on Monday night against the 49ers.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s role with the Rams will now be even bigger than first expected when he was signed this week. Robert Woods tore his ACL in practice on Friday and will miss the rest of the season, immediately thrusting Beckham into a starting role.

The Rams won’t waste any time getting their new receiver on the field, either. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Beckham will make his debut against the 49ers on Monday night. That’s just two days after he officially signed his contract, putting pen to paper on Saturday morning.

Sean McVay initially said there was a chance he could play if he was ready but the team would take it a day at a time. With a hole at wide receiver now, Beckham will be needed much more quickly than anticipated.

This season, Beckham has 17 catches for 232 yards, all coming with the Browns. He missed two games to start the year after recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in 2020.

Robert Woods out for year after tearing ACL in practice Friday

Robert Woods suffered a torn ACL in practice on Friday, the same day that Odell Beckham Jr. arrived in Los Angeles.

The Rams signed Odell Beckham Jr. this week as almost a luxury, adding depth to a wide receiver group that already featured Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Van Jefferson. However, Beckham’s role will be even bigger than expected.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Woods suffered a torn ACL in practice on Friday and will miss the rest of the year. The injury occurred on the same day that Beckham arrived in Los Angeles.

Schefter reported that Woods went down on Friday but finished practice, even holding a media session without thinking it was a serious injury. Further tests revealed it was a torn ACL, unfortunately, which is a huge blow to the Rams offense.

This season, Woods has 45 catches for 556 yards and four touchdowns. He’s second on the team in those categories, putting together a strong first half of the year despite his opportunities being somewhat limited by the breakout of Kupp.

Peter Schrager reported that the injury was non-contact and occurred on a jet sweep in practice, and that the team hoped it wasn’t as serious as initially feared.

Woods carries a ton of value for the Rams with his leadership and blocking ability, too, being a captain and an integral part of the locker room. He’ll be a tough player to replace but at least they now have Beckham, as well as Kupp and Jefferson.

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Rams leaving door open for Odell Beckham Jr. to play vs. 49ers

Sean McVay said the Rams will take things a day at a time with Odell Beckham Jr. but won’t rule out the possibility of him playing Monday.

The Rams are gearing up to face the 49ers for the first time this season when they visit their division rivals on Monday night at Levi’s Stadium. Von Miller is expected to make his debut against San Francisco, and it’s possible Odell Beckham Jr. will join him in doing so, too.

After signing Beckham this week, he has a chance to suit up for the Rams on Monday night after having just a few days to get acclimated to his new team. Sean McVay told reporters Friday that the Rams will take it a day at a time with their new receiver but wouldn’t rule him out for Week 10 against the 49ers.

“As far as his status on Monday night, we’ll see,” McVay said. “We’re going to take it a day at a time, but if we feel like he can help us go compete against the 49ers, then we’ll have him ready to go and those will be conversations that will take part between myself and Odell and the rest of the people that are involved.”

McVay said “it’ll be a process” getting Beckham up to speed but he’s “excited to be able to kind of dive into that with him.” Beckham only arrived in Los Angeles on Friday and will be out on the field watching the team practice, getting to know his new teammates, so it won’t be terribly surprising if the Rams opt to keep Beckham on the sideline this week and give him next week’s bye to really dive into the playbook.

But with a player as explosive and dynamic as him, if there’s a way for him to impact the game on Monday night – whether as a deep threat or on quick slants – the Rams will try to get him on the field.

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Sean McVay’s pitch to Odell Beckham Jr. suggests Rams will use more 4-WR sets

According to Peter Schrager, Sean McVay told Odell Beckham Jr. the Rams will use 4-WR sets and 10 personnel to get him involved.

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There were a handful of teams that were frequently linked to Odell Beckham Jr. in the last week since the Browns made it known that they would be releasing him. The Packers, Saints, Patriots and Packers were all reportedly interested in signing him, but the Rams came out of nowhere at the last moment and landed the former Pro Bowl receiver.

They agreed to a one-year deal with Beckham on Thursday, in large part because of the recruiting pitch from several key members of the Rams. Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller and the Rams’ receivers were a big part of luring Beckham to L.A., but Sean McVay was, too.

Peter Schrager of NFL Network detailed McVay’s pitch to Beckham, sharing that the coach told Odell the Rams will use four-receiver sets and 10 personnel (1 RB, 0 TE, 4 WR) to integrate him in the offense.

“I knew McVay has always lusted after Odell Beckham. This goes back to when Odell was on the Giants and he was rumored of possibly being traded from the Giants and the Browns offered too much,” Schrager began. “The Giants weren’t going to turn that down but Sean has always had his eye on Odell. And it was actually several other players who called him but McVay got on the phone with Odell Beckham two days ago and basically laid out the plans. ‘We’re gonna go four-wide, we’re gonna be in 10 personnel, we’re gonna get looks, we’re gonna bring you in here, we’re gonna go win a Super Bowl. Like, let’s go do this. What are we doing? Do you want to go anywhere else and maybe get more touches?’”

On Thursday, just before the Rams and Beckham agreed to terms on a contract, other stars in L.A. got involved. Ramsey had Beckham on FaceTime just before practice, allowing his teammates to make their final pitch to the wideout.

Schrager also shared that Ramsey helped get Beckham on board by showing how excited the Rams’ receivers would be to have him in Los Angeles.

“It’s a rental for now and if they can go in there for eight weeks and Odell can feel comfortable, the other wide receivers were a concern,” Schrager continued. “How do you tell Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods? At one point, Jalen Ramsey was on FaceTime recruiting Odell Beckham, and I can tell you this knowing it’s a fact, and Odell said, ‘What do you think about the wide receivers?’ And Jalen Ramsey at the facility took the FaceTime into the receivers room where they’re all sitting there and he puts it into the room and says, ‘Guys, Odell’s here, do we want Odell?’ And they’re all like, ‘Yeah, come on, let’s go!’ It was that clear.”

The Rams are all about team comradery and chemistry. McVay has instilled the “we not me” mantra in his players’ minds, getting them to completely buy into what he’s trying to build in Los Angeles.

Beckham seems to be fully on board and having the blessing of his new teammates in the receiver room helped seal the deal. It doesn’t hurt that McVay seems committed to getting him involved by using four-receiver sets and 10 personnel, a stark contrast to what he’s called this season; the Rams have only had four or five receivers on the field together five times this year.

The Rams are confident this relationship will work and right now, there’s no reason to believe there will be any locker room issues caused by bringing in a star like Beckham.

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