Getty Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on January 9, 2022.
As we approach free agency, Kansas City Chiefs fans appear to be split on one key decision — whether or not GM Brett Veach should add another big-time playmaker for Patrick Mahomes.
Many would prefer the Chiefs focus on the defense but with Travis Kelce turning 33 next October and very few options under contract behind Tyreek Hill at wide receiver, there’s no denying that this is an offseason need. The question is, how much is Veach willing to spend to fix it?
A top draft pick in 2022? A major free-agent deal? Or is Kansas City content with bargain signings at wide receiver that may or may not work out?
This suggestion would qualify as a big-time veteran pickup, as ESPN staff writers Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen pegged the Chiefs as the “best team fit” for Odell Beckham Jr.
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OBJ to KC, Take-Two?
The Chiefs weren’t just in on Beckham at the trade deadline, they were the favorite to land him according to certain reports. Considering the Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl after making the deal, one could argue that KC might be having second thoughts about the eventual decision to stand pat at WR.
The two NFL reporters detailed why OBJ makes sense this time around. Fowler wrote:
The Chiefs were in on Beckham during his midseason free-agency tour. He has to sign with a contender with high-level quarterback play, and Kansas City needs juice opposite Tyreek Hill. Plus, tight end Travis Kelce turns 33 in October. But any team interested would have to consider the injury history, after Beckham suffered an injury to his left knee in the Super Bowl.
Then Bowen followed with some more scheme-specific analysis:
Beckham could very well return to Los Angeles, where he certainly fits well. But we like Beckham in the Chiefs’ pass-game structure as a viable No. 3 target for Patrick Mahomes. A nuanced and savvy route runner, Beckham can win isolation matchups or be schemed as a catch-and-run option on the leveled concepts in the Kansas City playbook.
Whenever the Chiefs offense struggled in 2021, it was because opposing defenses found a way to take Kelce and Hill out of the game with double-teams and schemes. Without a strong run game and a dynamic third weapon behind the pair of superstars, this unit became very beatable on days where the KC defense faltered.
Based on that fact and from a football standpoint, Beckham to Kansas City does make a lot of sense but there are other variables to consider.
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Would Beckham Choose KC Over LA?
Beckham is ranked 10th on ESPN’s top-50 list of free agents, just behind Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu. The fallen superstar had been rebuilding his stock with the Rams but after a second torn ACL in the same knee, it’s unclear what OBJ might pull in on the open market at age 29.
It’s also unclear whether or not Los Angeles is interested in a reunion — because Beckham has already stated that L.A. “feels like a home” and that he would “sacrifice salary” to remain there.
I asked Odell Beckham Jr. about his future beyond Sunday and if he’d sacrifice salary to stick with the Rams. The answer was a quick “yeah, of course!” with a smile.
“This place, it feels good in my heart. It feels like a home.”
Would he do the same to play with Mahomes? He would probably be the third receiving option on both teams once Robert Woods returns from injury for the Rams.
Beckham also won his first Super Bowl with Los Angeles and if we’ve learned anything from his unique personality throughout his career, chemistry and overall vibe both impact the wide receiver’s mental state. He thinks back on his short time with the Rams fondly and he has a pretty good idea what he’s going to get from Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford — that’s tough to beat.
.@obj to Matthew Stafford 🗣️ “I don’t know why you didn’t wear No. 10, all you throw is dimes.”
#InsideTheNFL tonight on @paramountplus.
Through eight regular-season games with Los Angeles, OBJ scored five touchdowns but only averaged 38.1 yards per game — which was actually less than what he averaged in Cleveland. In the playoffs, however, he really turned it on catching 21 of 26 targets for 288 yards (72.0 per game) and two more touchdowns.
The final factor is the financials. Spotrac projects an average salary of $13.179 million split over two years for OBJ this offseason. Kansas City is tight on space as it is and that sort of price tag could mean Veach has to sacrifice adding talent elsewhere.
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