Getty Free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham.
The Dallas Cowboys are still very interested in free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
The Cowboys and Beckham have had an ongoing courtship for most of last season. It ultimately did not result in a signing due to his timeline in his return from a torn ACL, which likely would have seen him miss the regular season.
But with a few more months of rehab under his belt, Beckham appears poised to be ready for the start of next season, which has put him firmly back on the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones’ radar.
“He’s somebody that I have the same kind of interest that I had in him during the season,” Jones told reporters on Friday.
Jerry Jones Gushed Over Beckham During Season
It’s not a long statement from Jones but his comments during the year would indicate that the interest is very high. The Cowboys owner/general manager was very bullish on Beckham, at one point even indicating a deal was imminent.
“Odell’s going to join us,” Jones told Jarrett Bell of USA Today in December. “There’s a good chance he will, with the complete goal of getting ready for a playoff game or two, and then I’ll look to the future. But most of it being about now.”
While a deal didn’t happen, he made it very clear that he is a fan of Beckham and what he brings to the table.
“Odell is someone that we have all the appreciation in the world for what he is as a competitor,” Jones said in November. “I know the Cowboys star on that helmet, when he puts it on, could look pretty good.”
It also jibes with what Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said during the Senior Bowl, indicating that Dallas could be checking in on Beckham.
“We brought Odell Beckham Jr. in for a visit. Decided he wasn’t ready to play… that’s the way we left it with him,” Stephen Jones said last month. “Get ready to play, and then let’s revisit. We obviously had an interest for a reason.”
Beckham Could Find Significant Opportunity With Cowboys
The Cowboys have been clear that the goal for this offseason is adding more firepower to the offense around quarterback Dak Prescott. The team has an unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver in CeeDee Lamb but the depth behind him is questionable at best.
Micahel Gallup was expected to be a big part of the offense but was coming off a torn ACL, which forced him to miss the first three games of the season. Putting a little more pressure on Gallup was the fact that he signed a five-year, $57.5 million contract in the offseason, cashing in after some solid seasons in Dallas.
Gallup finished last year with 39 catches for 424 yards and four touchdowns. After the season ended, Gallup had two more surgeries to repair the meniscus in his right knee and to clean up his right ankle.
Beckham went through some rough years in Cleveland after a trade from the Giants in 2019, managing just 114 catches for 1,586 yards in 29 games. After an ugly ending with the Browns that resulted in his release, Beckham signed with the Rams and became a significant contributor during their Super Bowl run.
Beckham caught 21 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns during the Rams’ four postseason games, showing that he can still be a valuable contributor in the right role.