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Since training camp, one player’s locker inside the Los Angeles Rams‘ Thousand Oaks practice facility has stood empty with his name still on it. Until now.
Apparently, the Rams have moved on from any notion of re-signing Odell Beckham Jr. because they have finally removed his name from the locker, according to Greg Beacham of the Associated Press.
“The locker that has had Odell Beckham Jr’s name on it at the Rams’ training complex since last season is now blank again,” Beacham tweeted on November 30. “They are no longer saving OBJ’s spot.”
Gary Klein of the L.A. Times tweeted a similar message.
“FWIW the Odell Beckham Jr. nameplate is no longer in the Rams locker room,” Klein wrote.
FWIW the Odell Beckham Jr. nameplate is no longer on locker in Rams locker room.
Rams’ ‘Wishful Thinking’
Beckham’s name has officially been taken down. And his locker will now belong to someone else.
The Rams had spent the offseason, training camp and part of the regular season holding on to the hope that they could bring back Beckham to help bolster their receiving corps the way he did in November 2021.
“The Rams, in a bit of wishful thinking, have not reassigned the locker — not while Beckham, superstar receiver and current free agent, remains on the market while working his way back from knee surgery,” Klein wrote on September 28.
Meanwhile, Heavy Sports’ NFL insider Matt Lombardo recently dove into Beckham’s free agency prospects as he begins his recruitment tour 10 months after tearing his ACL during the Super Bowl.
Scouts & Execs Weighed in
The scouts and executives who spoke with Lombardi predicted where the three-time Pro Bowler would end up.
“It sounds like Dallas,” an AFC personnel executive told Heavy. “There’s no way to tell how healthy he is until he’s out there playing for a few weeks in a row.”
That same personnel executive said he believed OBJ’s days as a No. 1 wide receiver are behind him.
“If I had to guess, he could be a No. 3 and make a play or two this season, but I wouldn’t think he’s able to become a go-to guy in 2022,” the exec said. “For 2023 … he may wind up playing off more reputation than substance. So, I’d say he can be a No. 2 receiver, but he’ll never be a No. 1 guy again.”
Another AFC scout said, “He won’t bring much this year. It’s a signing for the future. When he’s fully healthy, he’s going to be exactly what Amari Cooper was for that offense in Dallas.”
One anonymous AFC coach told Lombardo he considered the New York Giants a sleeper to acquire Beckham.
“[President and co-owner] John Mara wants the story of bringing him back and having success,” the coach said.
One agent described as being familiar with the WR market also included the Giants but added: “I’m not sure they’re going to pay him what he’s looking for. Especially having no idea what he’s going to be on the field.”
However, one agent who represents multiple wideouts said Beckham would be considered “too risky,” even comparing the move to former Giants wideout Kenny Golladay, who joined the Kansas City Chiefs before the trade deadline.
“Whoever signs Odell is taking a Golladay-sized risk,” the agent said.
In a perhaps-related move, the Rams signed receiver Jaquarii Roberson to the practice squad on Wednesday.
LA Rams Transactions:
• Designated for Return, Returned to Practice LB Daniel Hardy
• Signed to Practice Squad WR Jaquarii Roberson
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Rams Send Final Message on Luring in Ex-$90 Million Pro Bowler