Getty Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp celebrate a touchdown on October 9, 2022.
November remains the time frame for one three-time Pro Bowler to finally be cleared to play again: Odell Beckham Jr.
And once cleared, one NFL insider who has spoken to several league sources revealed where the Los Angeles Rams stand in awaiting which team OBJ chooses.
Insider Dives Into Team’s Relationship With Beckham
Per ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday, October 11, the Rams are still expected to land OBJ.
“Most execs I’ve spoken to believe the Rams are the favorite and make the most sense,” Fowler wrote in his column.
One advantage the Rams have had over most teams: The fact they’ve stayed in consistent communication with Beckham.
“The team has maintained a good relationship with Beckham and has intimate knowledge of his injury file. His star power plays in Los Angeles, and he developed a quick on-field rapport with (quarterback Matthew) Stafford,” Fowler added.
One NFL executive told Fowler that OBJ is likely to include playing with a top quarterback as his reasoning for choosing his next destination.
“Wherever he goes will most likely be with a top quarterback,” an AFC executive told Fowler. “He has that luxury, and why waste time with anything else?”
An NFC personnel director additionally added to Fowler how Beckham to the Rams “makes the most sense — if you’re coming off an injury, why start over with a new offense?”
Beckham Could be Who Reignites a Struggling Rams Offense
Post OBJ, the Rams have yet to deliver the firepower and fireworks that fans inside the “Rams House” became used to.
While Cooper Kupp delivered his longest reception of his career against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5 — this 75-yard one-handed catch and run — the Rams haven’t managed to recreate those types of plays on a consistent basis.
Only Tutu Atwell, who caught a 54-yard bomb, is the only other Ram who racked up more than 50 yards on his catch. The next closest is Ben Skowronek with a 32-yarder. And, after getting six plays of 20 yards or more, the Rams have only managed two since then — Kupp and Atwell’s catches in the 22-10 loss to Dallas. The Rams delivered no receptions that passed the 20-yard mark against the San Francisco 49ers.
Pass protection has played a significant part in the Rams’ offensive lapses — with the Rams surrendering 4.2 sacks per game and allowing nearly 50% of pressure on Matthew Stafford in the Cowboys game. A private meeting held by Rams captain Rob Havenstein got called on Monday and former NFL general manager while Heavy contributor Randy Mueller chimed in on how the Rams can address this matter.
But outside of the line, another ESPN analyst believes the Rams adding OBJ can recreate the play-calling prowess that’s become a staple of Sean McVay-led teams.
“We know the system fit works here with Sean McVay, too. The Rams coach will create schemed concepts to target the interior of the field with Beckham, adding isolation matchups outside of the numbers,” said Matt Bowen. “Free agent signing Allen Robinson has struggled to gain traction for the Rams, and Van Jefferson is on injured reserve (knee). Adding Beckham would boost this pass game, giving quarterback Matthew Stafford a proven and productive target opposite Cooper Kupp.”
What About Cap Number?
The next hurdle: The Rams working with their cap value of under $5 million.
Fowler, though, believes the Rams are in a solid spot to land Beckham.
“The Rams are in decent shape cap-wise, with $4.8 million in space as of Week 5, according to ESPN’s Roster Management System. They can always create more, via contract restructure. Last month, Los Angeles earned $3.8 of additional space by converting most of Tyler Higbee’s base salary into a signing bonus and adding voidable years to his deal,” Fowler wrote.
While the Rams are listed as the team that “makes the most sense” for Beckham, there has been an aggressive push from former Ram Von Miller to get OBJ over to the Buffalo Bills. The Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers and Cowboys have also remained linked as possibilities for the Super Bowl 56 champion.