Just as the clock expired on the NFL’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline on Tuesday, November 1, the Buffalo Bills made two moves to solidify what was already a Super-Bowl caliber team, acquiring Nyheim Hines from the Indianapolis Colts, and bringing back safety Dean Marlowe from the Atlanta Falcons.
However, if it were up to Bills star Von Miller, the team would move quickly to add one more player to the roster, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who remains a free agent as recovers from an ACL tear.
Miller, who’s been publicly campaigning to get his former Rams teammate to join him in Buffalo for months, made one final push during his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday, November 3.
“@obj is my brother & of course I want him on my team.. at the same time I want him to do what’s best for him” ~@VonMiller
“I’ve never lied to Odell in my entire life,” Miller said. “And it’s a tough situation for me because he’s not just a guy, some colleague around the league I want to get on my team. I don’t think blood even could make us any closer. So of course I want him on my team, and of course I’m doing everything in my ability to make him feel comfortable with the Buffalo Bills. But at the same time I’m his brother too, and I want him to make the best decision for Odell, and for his son, and for his mom and his family. In my personal opinion, I feel like that’s best decision is with [the Bills]. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to separate business and family.”
Beckham sent a strong response to Miller’s claim on Twitter. The 29-year-old receiver, who turns 30 on November 5, tweeted, “PATTTT HES LYINNNN!!!! One day he stole my charger and lied about it!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭 but that’s the only thing bad I can say about him.”
👀 Obj time? #billsmafia (via Von’s IG)
On Friday, November 4, Miller shared a photo of him and Beckham on his Instagram Stories with a red clock emoji posted at the top. Yes, the clock is ticking when it comes to the Beckham sweepstakes as it’s largely believed he will sign with a new team before November comes to a close. And if he does sign with Buffalo, he will make what’s already one the best teams in the NFL even scarier.
While Miller previously claimed it’s already “said and done” that Beckham is coming to Buffalo, the star receiver has visited with several franchises over the past few months, including the Giants, Saints, and Buccaneers.
Bills GM Said the Door Remains Open to Signing OBJ
Following a flurry of roster moves on Tuesday, which included elevating cornerback Tre’Davious White to the active roster and the subsequent release of defensive tackle Brandin Bryant and wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins, the Bills general manager Brandon Beane was asked if he’s still interested in adding the three-time Pro Bowler in free agency.
“OBJ is a heck of a talent,” Beane said, per The Athletic‘s Joe Buscaglia. “If we think he can help his team, we’d be crazy not to at least look into it. Says if they did, financials, role would all have to line up.” During an appearance on Sirius XM’s Mad Dog Radio, Beane revealed there’s been communication with OBJ’s reps. “We’ve talked a little to his agent. We will see where it goes,” Beane said.
The Bills will face stiff competition to land Beckham. NFL analyst Dov Kleiman tweeted on Wednesday morning, “The #Bucs, #Packers, #Bills and #Rams have contacted free-agent WR Odell Beckham about potentially signing him. Each team touched base with him but the current health of his knee remains a question, per @AlbertBreer.”
Beane previously addressed Miller’s mission to recruit Beckham back in September. “Anything Von says I’m going to respect,” Beane said. “Guys that have been around, knows what it takes, knows what it looks like. They’re going to offer up what they think — I’m going to give them the time of day. Why wouldn’t I respect what he thinks? He’s been great…. Von wants to win. And I want to surround myself with as many people like that as I can.”
Can the Bills Afford to Sign Beckham?
While Miller, White, and Stefon Diggs would all love to see their boy Odell put on a Bills uniform, according to Spotrac.com, Buffalo has approximately $702,632 in cap space, which means Beane will have to restructure a contract or two in order to make room for Beckham.
It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Miller himself offered re-work his salary if it meant Beckham would have a locker next to him, and for a team that’s clearly going all in to win the championship this season, making some money magic work with the cap seems like an effort worth making.
“What’s the locker next to u loook like 👀!!!??” –@obj to Von Miller.
If the #Bills want Odell Beckham Jr. at some point this season, it’s not going to take much convincing…
(H/T @pjbuffalobills) #BillsMafia
Cover 1 host Greg Thompsett tweeted on Tuesday, “There is a VERY sneaky path to sign OBJ to a cheap 2022 deal with incentive laden 2023 #’s that are easy Not-Likely-To-Be-Earned targets because he hasn’t played in 2022 which means OBJ is confident he’ll get all those 2023 incentives but the Bills won’t have to pay until 2024.”
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Sought-After WR Tweets Response to Bills Star’s Final Recruitment Push