Getty Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (left) when he was with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The Baltimore Ravens made their biggest roster addition of the offseason on Easter Sunday by signing free agent veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year deal worth up to $18 million.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson played a large part of the recruitment process, according to The Score’s Jordan Schultz.
“Lamar Jackson and Odell Beckham Jr. have had multiple conversations during OBJ’s free agency about teaming up together and winning a Super Bowl with the #Ravens, according to sources familiar with the situation,” Schultz wrote.
Lamar Jackson and Odell Beckham Jr. have had multiple conversations during OBJ’s free agency about teaming up together and winning a Super Bowl with the #Ravens, according to sources familiar with the situation.
There’s still business to handle with Lamar — but this is a…
Also, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti had been “in frequent communication” with Beckham about joining the team, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported.
A few hours after the Ravens announced the deal, Jackson posted a screenshot on Instagram of himself face-timing with Beckham while sporting a Baltimore chain.
Some media figures speculated that the signing increased the likelihood that Jackson, on whom the Ravens placed a nonexclusive franchise tag, will play for the Ravens in 2023.
“Not sure if Odell would be going to Baltimore if he wasn’t sure that Lamar was going back too,” tweeted Brett Coleman of YouTube’s “The Film Room.”
Not sure if Odell would be going to Baltimore if he wasn’t sure that Lamar was going back too
“Gotta think Odell knows something as it relates to Lamar,” tweeted Damien Woody, a former player turned ESPN pundit.
Gotta think Odell knows something as it relates to Lamar
NFL World Reacts to Odell Beckham Jr.’s Signing
Others shared their reactions to the news as well.
Buzzing 📲
Back on March 20, Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey predicted the deal in a tweet. After the news was announced, he tweeted: “Want to be best friends and win a Super Bowl?? Let’s get it ..!”
“Amazing job by Ravens FM Eric Decosta signing OBJ. … NOW SIGN LAMAR JACKSON,” former Ravens backup quarterback Robert Griffin III tweeted.
Amazing job by Ravens GM Eric Decosta signing OBJ. Adds Super Bowl Experience and game breaking ability to their WR room. Having OBJ, Bateman, Mark Andrews, JK Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Likely and Duvernay allows this offensive to attack from every direction. NOW SIGN LAMAR JACKSON.
Griffin’s III ESPN colleague Mina Kimes posted about how fun to watch and potent the new and evolved version of the offense will look under first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
If…
-Lamar is back
-Bateman is healthy
-Odell is healthy
A Todd Monken-led Ravens offense could be very fun to watch.
Former Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith wrote that Beckham and 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman “can be a special duo in Baltimore” if they are both healthy. Bateman has yet to play a full season and Beckham Jr. missed the entire 2022 season while he recovered from a torn ACL that he suffered in playing in Super Bowl 56 as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
Let’s pray for the health of the guys! They will be ready to roll by the time the season starts. Bateman and Beckham can be a special duo in Baltimore.
Let’s hope Lamar gets his money!
And Hall of Famer Ray Lewis welcomed Beckham to the flock as well.
Welcome to the flock @obj #RavensFlock 💪🏾
Potential Salary Cap Implications of Odell Beckham Jr.’s Contract
Salary cap expert Brian McFarland of Russell Street Report broke down the potential implications the signing will have on the Ravens’ salary cap for the foreseeable future.
He assumed that four void years would to be tacked on to “reach the max proration of five years” which means that Beckham would have a cap hit of $3.932 million in 2023. McFarland wrote that if that is the case however and if he weren’t extended prior to the 2024 season, he will count $11.068 million against the 2024 cap in dead money.
Since the Ravens already had just over $6 million available in cap space prior to this move, he said, they don’t have to make a corresponding move to become cap compliant but “will likely at some point have to do some restructures to create cap space for future moves, injuries, practice squad, and draft picks” among other possible transactions.
A non-salary cap-related nugget that McFarland shared was that since Beckham was a “street” free agent and not an unrestricted free agent, his signing won’t count against the compensatory pick formula. That means the Ravens are “still in line to receive a fourth-round compensatory pick in 2024 for the loss of [offensive guard] Ben Powers” who signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency on a four-year deal worth $51 million according to spotrac.com.