Getty Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. will be under a lot of pressure to perform in his first year back.
For a player that missed the entire 2022 season while he recovered from a torn ACL that he suffered helping his previous team win a Super Bowl championship, the expectations for Baltimore Ravens veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. are still pretty high in the eyes of the national media.
After all, he was the team’s most notable player acquisition of the entire offseason, and perhaps franchise history if it all pans out and the team makes a deep playoff run with him as one of the main catalysts. In a July 10 column, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin named the three-time Pro Bowler among 14 non-quarterbacks “under the most pressure” to perform in the 2023 season.
“Even on a one-year deal, $15 (million) is not cheap for a guy who’s started 20 games the last three years, missing extensive time with knee injuries,” Benjamin wrote. “Beckham is easily the most accomplished member of a remade WR corps, but his availability could be crucial to Lamar Jackson’s growth as a passer inside a new offensive system.”
While this year will mark his quarterback’s first working with first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken, it won’t be for Beckham. The two were together for his first season with the Cleveland Browns in 2019 which also happened to be the last time that the ninth-year veteran eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards according to Pro Football Reference.
Mama there goes that man again! 🔥
@bakermayfield ➡️ @obj = 89 YARD TD❗️
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While he has torn his ACL in the same leg twice since then, that injury is far from the career death knell that it used to be prior to the advancements of modern medicine in the past few decades. Unlike most notable players that suffer debilitating late-season injuries, he had the benefit of being able to recover at his own pace and have a whole year off to fully heal as a free agent instead of feeling rushed to return to the field had been under contract with a team in 2022.
Nevertheless, Benjamin still believes that the Ravens “better hope” that first-round rookie receiver Zay Flowers is “ready too” so that they aren’t counting on Beckham more than they should given his recent durability issues.
Realistic Expectations for Odell Beckham Jr. in 2023
In his first season back from his initial ACL tear, Beckham recorded a combined 61 receptions for 825 receiving yards, and 7 touchdowns in 18 games between the Browns and Los Angeles Rams including the playoffs which is where his play really began to take off. He was on his way to earning 2022 Super Bowl MVP honors prior to going down in the big game with a pair of catches for 52 yards and a touchdown in the first half.
OBJ’S FIRST CATCH IS A TOUCHDOWN. #RamsHouse @OBJ
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As for what a successful season for him with the Ravens this year would look like this upcoming season, reaching 1,000-plus receiving yards for the first time in three years isn’t out of the question and is realistically conceivable. However, there are several other weapons at Jackson and Monken’s disposal in the passing game at tight end, receiver, and running back where they have yet to tap into the full potential of starter J.K. Dobbins.
That being said, where Beckham can and likely will make the most impact is on crucial downs in obvious passing situations throughout the season but especially come playoff time. His ability to make himself available for key first-downs in addition to hauling in the occasional acrobatic catch will be vital to the success of the offense and team overall.
Both he and Flowers have been spending time building up their chemistry and rapport with Jackson in private workouts since the Ravens’ offseason program ended and all indications point to him being healthy and ready to contribute right away come September and beyond.
Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr. getting together for workouts this weekend.
(via IG/spencefit__)
Ravens’ Key Offseason Addition Labeled Overvalued
Among the first moves that general manager Eric DeCosta made following the 2023 NFL draft was bringing in young veteran cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and signing him to a one-year deal worth $4 million, per spotrac.com, to replace three-time Pro Bowler Marcus Peters as the other starter opposite All-Pro Marlon Humphrey.
At the time it was and still is widely viewed as a great value signing with a lot of upside given the former second-rounder’s age and experience at just 27 years old with 38 career starts already under his belt. However, Ya-Sin was named in a July 12 CBS Sports column by Tyler Sullivan on the most overvalued player on each AFC team.
“Ya-Sin is on his third team in as many seasons after being a second-round draft choice of the Colts in 2019 and has not recorded an interception in the previous two seasons,” he wrote. “Having Ya-Sin as a key starter does feel a bit thin for a Baltimore team that plays in a stacked AFC North and in a conference that also features Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers.”
Ya-Sin’s ball skills certainly pale in comparison compared to Peters’, and he has yet to consistently put them on display, as Sullivan noted, with just two interceptions in his career to date. However, he has recorded five or more pass breakups in each of his first four seasons and has lowered his opposing passer rating allowed in each year, according to Pro Football Reference.
Rock Ya-Sin dives for the INT! #ForTheShoe @RockYasin26
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Physicality has been his forte since he entered the NFL, which pairs well with Humphrey, who is known as one of the most aggressive cornerbacks in coverage in the entire league. The pair gives the Ravens a stout duo on the perimeter. The team could still, and likely will, add a veteran cornerback prior to or during training camp to give them some more experienced depth for the 2023 season.