Odell Beckham Jr. has garnered headlines because his former team, the Browns, waived him. The wide receiver cleared waivers, which makes him a free agent for the first time in his NFL career.
Not only that, but Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has struggled to find wide receivers other than Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson in the passing game recently. Even Thielen and Jefferson have had their quiet games at times.
All that stipulated, the Vikings should not try and sign the three-time Pro Bowl wideout. Let’s start with the logistics.
Minnesota has a little more than $3.6 million in 2021 salary cap space. An NFL team that hypothetically wants to sign Beckham will be taking on his $7.25 million salary in 2021. The Vikings, already bogged down with big deals, would have to free up cap space.
The Vikings are 3-5. This team may have to tear down its roster if 2021 continues to not go well. Beckham may not want to deal with an inconsistent team. The Vikings may not want to free up space this year or get rid of younger talent in place of a wide receiver who could just be gone after the season.
Let’s talk about how Beckham would fit with the Vikings stylistically. Minnesota is a run-heavy offense. With Beckham as one of the top receiving options, Cousins would probably have an easier time finding his receivers. However, the Vikings may run into the same problems that the Browns did with the star wideout: how will the quarterback get the ball to Beckham? If he was frustrated in Cleveland, wait until he finds out that Thielen had six receiving yards last game.
The Vikings’ only real reason for signing Beckham would be to prevent him from going to the Packers. This report from Jordan Schultz on Tuesday suggested Green Bay was Beckham’s priority destination if he cleared waivers. Minnesota still plays Green Bay twice this year.
I don’t know if that rises to the level of the Vikings actually signing Beckham, though. Doing so would be a shortsighted move. Also, the Packers appear to be better than the Vikings in 2021 — with or without Beckham — so long as Aaron Rodgers is Green Bay’s quarterback.
I think the social dynamics of an NFL team can be complicated, so I don’t want to get into that too much. Also, Baker Mayfield and other Browns players have had positive things to say about the former Cleveland wideout. I just don’t think the Vikings take on Beckham from an on-field standpoint.
Overall, this Minnesota team does not seem to be in a place to sign Beckham — for a multitude of reasons. Though the Vikings may have to watch him sign with an NFC North rival, Beckham is just not a viable target for Minnesota.