Getty The Baltimore Ravens have decided the future of free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
It looks like Odell Beckham Jr. will be one and done with the Baltimore Ravens. The AFC North franchise will release the veteran wide receiver “before midnight ET” on Wednesday, March 13.
That’s according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. He explained Beckham will be designated as a post-June 1 cut because “Beckham and the Ravens restructured his deal in January, eliminating the void years and allowing the team to use post-June 1 on him.”
Barring an unexpected last-minute extension, you’ll see the Ravens release Odell Beckham before midnight ET tonight with a post-June 1 designation. Beckham and the Ravens restructured his deal in January, eliminating the void years and allowing the team to use post-June 1 on him.
There’s more to the decision. Namely, a way for the Ravens to save money and avoid a hefty hit against this year’s salary cap.
As Graziano noted, “if Beckham is on the Ravens’ roster March 14 (tomorrow), the $50 million 2025 salary would become fully guaranteed.” Even though the Ravens will still absorb a fair chunk of dead-cap cash, Graziano also detailed how under Beckham’s original deal, “the remaining years would have voided and the Ravens would have taken an $11.068 million cap hit.”
If Beckham is on the Ravens’ roster March 14 (tomorrow), the $50 million 2025 salary would become fully guaranteed. Obviously, that’s not happening. But the post-June 1 cut means Ravens carry $2.767M dead money for Beckham this year and $8.301M dead in 2025.
The Ravens are smart to avoid paying those tabs. Beckham hardly dominated playing on a contract worth $15 million last season.
He snagged just 35 receptions and scored a mere three touchdowns. The Ravens got more production from rookie wideout Zay Flowers and greater consistency from veteran Nelson Agholor.
Odell Beckham Jr. Move Didn’t Work Out for Ravens
Beckham was expected to be the go-to receiver for franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson. Things didn’t work out that way, with Flowers taking the lead, while Beckham made just six starts.
It didn’t help that OBJ went missing late in the season. The former New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams playmaker caught just four passes during his final three games in the regular season, per Pro Football Reference.
Beckham was just as much of a non-factor in the playoffs. He tallied four catches from seven targets in two postseason games.
The lack of production meant the Ravens would have been reckless to keep a receiver who still has a market value projected by Spotrac.com as $11.9 million for this year.
There are those who believe Beckham “still has more left in the tank,” including NFL on DAZN.
Odell Beckham Jr.’s career so far:
🏈 566 catches
🏈 7,932 yards
🏈 59 TD
He still has more in the tank 💯
Yet, a lot of that belief rests on what Beckham did earlier in his career. He’s still 31 and has torn his left ACL twice.
General manager Eric DeCosta made the right call about Beckham, but the Ravens still need help at receiver.
Ravens Still Need WR Help
DeCosta had a choice between veteran receivers and he opted to bring Agholor back. The 30-year-old can still stretch the field, but he became a valuable inside receiver in coordinator Todd Monken’s offense.
Putting Agholor in the slot for “59% of his snaps” meant Monken could use Flowers “outside and get him into more space,” according to Ravens.com Editorial Director Ryan Mink, citing Next Gen Stats.
Nelson Agholor’s usage in the slot was big for the Ravens offense and allowed Zay Flowers to primarily play outside and get him into more space. Agholor took 59% of his snaps in the slot, per @NextGenStats.
Agholor and Flowers form a credible double act for Jackson in the passing game. So do tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.
There’s still room for another burner on the outside. Somebody like Oregon’s Troy Franklin, an “explosive” fit for the Ravens with the 30th-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Putting this group around newly acquired All-Pro running back Derrick Henry would give Jackson perhaps the most dynamic supporting cast of his career and ensure Beckham isn’t missed.