If Lamar Jackson still hopes to play for the Baltimore Ravens, the organization extended an expensive olive branch that has the potential to make the offense more prolific.
As Jon Rahm was rounding through Amen Corner at Augusta National on Easter Sunday, en route to his first Green Jacket, Odell Beckham Jr. announced on Instagram that he is headed to the Ravens. Rahm stuffed $3.24 million in the breast pocket of his new garment, while Beckham’s deal nearly eclipsed the entire Masters purse.
Turns out, after garnering interest from the likes of the New York Jets, New York Giants and others, the Ravens won out for the 30-year-old playmaker, signing Beckham to a one-year deal worth $15 million that can reach $18 million if he hits incentives.
Beckham’s deal comes in the aftermath of the Ravens placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, and the 2019 NFL MVP announcing last month that he requested a trade. Might the temperatures be cooling between Jackson and the Ravens, especially after adding the most dynamic receiver he’s played with in his career to his supporting cast?
“I think he was a favor of sorts to Lamar,” an AFC coach told Heavy, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about another team. “They definitely overpaid, and he had the leverage over them because Lamar wanted him there. Other teams were talking in the $5-7 million range, tops”
Beckham immediately vaults near the top of Jackson’s target hierarchy, alongside wide receiver Rashod Bateman (61 career catches for 800 yards with 3 touchdowns) and tight end Mark Andrews (73 catches in 2022 for 847 yards and 5 touchdowns).
Jackson, of course, is an electrifying dual-threat quarterback who has rushed for 4,437 yards with 24 career touchdowns, but even with a career 63.7 completion percentage has persisting questions about his accuracy. Beckham might be the ideal anecdote to those concerns.
“Having a receiver with hands and a catch radius like Odell is BIG,” the coach points out. “[Especially] when the quarterback isn’t overly accurate.”
Beckham’s signing, especially at such a lofty number, doesn’t come without concerns.
Sure, Beckham caught 44 passes for 537 yards with 5 touchdowns in 2021, and was well on his way to a Super Bowl MVP performance prior to tearing his ACL on the Sofi Stadium turf. But, he hasn’t stepped foot on the field since.
If Beckham is and can stay healthy, he has the potential to close the gap between Baltimore and the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North. Especially after the Ravens’ passing offense has finished 30th in 2022 (with Jackson only making 12 starts), and 13th in 2021 (with Jackson making 12 starts), 31st in 2020.
But, just how might Beckham actually help the Ravens’ offense? As some scouts pointed out, that’s anyone’s guess, with new offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s arrival from the University of Georgia.
However, the coach believes Beckham might be able to thrive on the receiving end of Jackson’s passes.
“I could see a lot more college RPO-type concepts,” he points out. “With OBJ being available on slant types off the run-fake. He would give another catch-and-run threat for that offense. Odell also helps in the red zone, too”
There’s still the business of the Ravens and Jackson finding their way back to each other once and potentially for all, but adding Beckham was the ultimate message of a good-faith commitment to continue surrounding the dynamic quarterback with what he needs to succeed.
How I See The Top 10 Picks of the NFL Draft
As the 2023 NFL draft nears, with the first round set to get underway on Thursday, April, 27, we’ll reserve some space in the column each week to project the top 10 picks of what is shaping up to be one of the more unpredictable drafts in recent memory.
1. Carolina Panthers – C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
2. Houston Texans – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
3. Arizona Cardinals – Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama
4. Indianapolis Colts – Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
5. Seattle Seahawks – Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
6. Detroit Lions – Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
7. Las Vegas Raiders – Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
8. Atlanta Falcons – Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State
9. Chicago Bears – Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia
10. Philadelphia Eagles – Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Final Thought: C.J. Stroud Emerging as QB1?
The smoke is gathering around the notion of C.J. Stroud being Frank Reich and the Carolina Panthers’ preferred quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick.
Stroud, standing at 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, looks the part of a franchise quarterback. He checks a lot of the boxes teams covet out of a franchise quarterback. And, from someone who makes his living chasing quarterbacks, Stroud appears ready to reach stardom at the next level.
“Ryan Day and the staff run their offense like an NFL offense,” Washington Commanders defensive end and former Ohio State star Chase Young said on Heavy Sports’ The Matt Lombardo Show, on behalf of New Balance, as the first professional football player to partner with the brand. “As far as being ready [for the NFL], C.J. is already there.”
Stroud arrives as arguably the premier prospect in the 2023 quarterback class, after completing 66.3% of his passes for 3,688 yards with 41 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions as a junior in Columbus.
Young believes that Stroud’s ability to play the game above the shoulders complements his athleticism in a way that gives him a lofty NFL ceiling.
“C.J. can do it all,” Young said. “He’s real smart when he’s playing out there. I feel like he gets the ball out pretty fast. He’s going to have to do that in the NFL, he can’t just hold onto the ball in the NFL, but everyone is telling him that, but he already does it, which is great.”
Stroud’s ability to process information, combined with his accuracy, could make him an ideal fit for Reich’s system and for the Panthers to build around.
After starting nine different quarterbacks since 2018, the Panthers have the chance to finally find stability at quarterback. Whether that’s with Stroud, Alabama’s Bryce Young, Florida’s Anthony Richardson, or Kentucky’s Will Levis who is the apple of Carolina’s eye remains to be seen. But, there might not be a more pro-ready and polished quarterback prospect in this class than Stroud.
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NFL Coaches Reveal Why Ravens ‘Definitely Overpaid’ to Sign Odell Beckham Jr.