Getty The Cowboys have had a quiet offseason.
Odell Beckham Jr. has been the talk of the NFL, and it did not take long for the Dallas Cowboys to be mentioned as a potential landing spot for the star receiver. CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin has the Cowboys as the No. 7 team on his list of top ten landing spots for Beckham.
“How spicy would this be? Dallas doesn’t need WR help, with Dak Prescott comfortably in the MVP conversation thanks to help from CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper,” Benjamin detailed. “OBJ also wouldn’t necessarily get an abundance of work in such a crowded room. But Michael Gallup has been banged up, and Jerry Jones could view this like an Antonio Brown-to-the-Buccaneers kind of move: a luxury addition to a Super Bowl-caliber lineup. As for Odell, what could be better than getting the America’s Team stage before a potential return to free agency, and maybe getting another shot at the Giants along the way?”
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The Cowboys Are No. 27 in the Waiver Claim Order
The Cowboys are dealing with multiple injuries at wide receiver, but are still unlikely to make a run at Beckham. Dallas has plenty of depth at receiver led by Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and an almost-healthy Michael Gallup. Cedrick Wilson has also emerged as an offensive weapon in Gallup’s absence.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that any team that claims Beckham will be responsible for his $7.25 million salary for the remainder of the season. The Cowboys only have $4.8 million in cap space which would not be enough to claim Beckham without restructuring current players’ deals.
According to CBS Sports, the Cowboys are way down the list on the waiver wire order at No. 27. If no one claims Beckham, the star receiver would be free to sign with the Cowboys or another team.
Cowboys WR Coach Adam Henry Has Been a Mentor for OBJ
Even if Beckham goes unclaimed, it is hard to imagine the Cowboys would risk messing with their early-season success for a position of luxury. Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher detailed Beckham’s ties to the Cowboys but described the idea of the star receiver coming to Dallas as “absurd.”
“There are actually two issues that, if someone wanted to even approach sounding credible, must be mentioned about Beckham and Dallas,” Fisher detailed. “One, he has friends and family in DFW and in the region, the ‘region’ including Louisiana, where he played at LSU – and over the years, his family would’ve loved to see him as a Cowboy. And two, Cowboys receivers coach Adam Henry is a long-time mentor of OBJ’s, having coached him at every stop: LSU, the Giants, and the Browns.
“…But other than that? Today, Nov. 5, is Beckham’s birthday. He’s not ‘old.’ But his act is old, and the idea that the Dallas locker room needs ‘spice’ is absurd. So is the idea that the Cowboys roster needs receiver depth, as there is enough difficulty finding a place for the returning Gallup alongside Cooper and Lamb as is. It’s worth noting that Beckham this year has 17 receptions, and that it’s been six seasons (2016) since he’s put up “star” numbers.”
Beckham on AT&T Stadium: ‘It’s Amazing. It’s an Incredible Environment, Beautiful Place’
Beckham grew up in a family full of Cowboys fans which is sure to fuel speculation even more until the receiver finds a new home. Despite being a longtime rival of the Cowboys with the Giants, Beckham has been complimentary of Dallas throughout his career.
“All of my family grew up in Texas so they are all huge Cowboy fans,” Beckham noted on October 1, 2020, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “It has always been kind of a funny story with them as far as being in New York and them being in Dallas. I do not have any animosity, hate or rivalry with them.”
Beckham also admitted he loves playing in Dallas, describing AT&T Stadium as an “incredible environment.”
“It’s amazing. It’s an incredible environment, beautiful place,” Beckham said of AT&T Stadium in October 2020, per The Chronicle-Telegram’s Scott Petrak. “I’m always excited to play there.”
Beckham posted back-to-back 1,000 receiving yards seasons in 2018 and 2019 but has yet to score a touchdown in 2021. The receiver played in just seven games last season after sustaining an ACL injury.