During the 2023 NFL offseason, the Baltimore Ravens made one of the league’s boldest moves.
Faced with a glaring need at wide receiver, the Ravens decided to take a chance on one with one with some major question marks.
Odell Beckham Jr. hadn’t played a snap in more than a year because of a knee injury he suffered during Super Bowl LVI when the Ravens decided to sign him to a 1-year deal worth $15 million.
Beckham Jr. is approaching the end of that deal, but the Ravens have decided to rework the terms of the contract.
According to Russell Street Report’s Brian McFarland, the Ravens and Beckham Jr. have agreed to remove void years from his deal and have moved the team’s deadline to either extend or release the star receiver to March 14.
If for some reason Beckham Jr is still on the roster after that date, he’ll have a fully-guaranteed salary of $50 million in 2025.
Most importantly, the new terms of the deal allowed the Ravens to spread the dead cap hit that they will have to deal with in the future as a result of Beckham Jr.’s original deal.
They were supposed to be hit with $11.088 million in dead cap in 2024, but that number will now decrease to $8.301 million while they will also have a dead cap hit of $2.767 million in 2025.
A Decent Comeback Season For Beckham Jr.
When the Ravens decided to sign Beckham Jr., it was a risky move for them.
Nobody really seemed to know what to expect from the former All-Pro after he suffered another major leg injury and the deal gave the receiver one of 2023’s highest salaries at the position.
Beckham Jr. didn’t return to the level of play that we’ve seen from him at past stops, but the he has had his moments for the Ravens.
Over the course of the season, Beckham Jr. made 35 catches for 565 yards and 3 touchdowns. The yardage was his most since 2019.
He had a couple of particularly strong performances in the middle of the season He made 4 catches for 116 yards against the Bengals in Week 12.
Two games later, he had 4 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers.
It wasn’t the type of season that will have teams throwing money at him during the offseason, but Beckham Jr. proved he still has plenty left in the tank.
A Crowded Free Agent Class For The Ravens
While it seems this move was mostly made to help the Ravens with their cap situation for next season, it also has one big advantage for Beckham Jr.
He’ll have more time to get a deal done with the Ravens after they’ve handled other free agents.
The free agent class for the Ravens heading into the offseason is going to be very crowded and the veteran receiver isn’t going to be one of the priorities in it.
That free agent class includes a pair of Pro Bowlers in Patrick Queen and Justin Madubuike.
It also features starting guard Kevin Zeitler, who is a starter on one of the NFL’s best offensive lines.
Breakout safety Geno Stone is heading for free agency after tying for the league lead in interceptions.
Edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney’s contract is expiring after he racked up 9.5 sacks this season.
The team will also have JK Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Dalvin Cook entering free agency and will need to address their running back situation.
All of these upcoming free agent situations are likely a higher priority for the Ravens than bringing back Beckham Jr., but by giving the team more time to figure out what they want to do with him, he could have an easier time getting a second contract in Baltimore.
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Ravens Rework Star Wide Receiver’s Contract