Getty Images Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
The Dallas Cowboys need help at wide receiver and the team is being urged to follow through with their much-rumored signing of Odell Beckham Jr.
Aaron Schatz, an analyst for ESPN’s Football Outsiders, believes the Cowboys need to sign Beckham to provide vital depth at the wide receiver position.
“This is another match that has been discussed so much that it feels like it has already happened. The Cowboys could use an upgrade at receiver across from CeeDee Lamb, and Beckham’s time with the Rams showed that, if his knee is healthy, he can still create immediate separation and run detailed routes,” Schatz wrote. “Signing Beckham would have a great cascade effect, also turning Michael Gallup into one of the top No. 3 receivers in the NFL.”
The Cowboys’ interest in Beckham dates back to last season and the sides appeared to be very close to agreeing to a deal. However, Beckham’s health ended up being the sticking point in the negotiations after an in-person visit with the team.
Beckham’s longer-than-anticipated timeline in a return from a torn ACL he suffered in Super Bowl LVI with the Rams would have kept him off the field for most, if not all of the regular season, which didn’t make it worthwhile for the Cowboys at the time.
Dallas chose instead to sign another veteran in T.Y. Hilton, although he didn’t end up being much of a difference-maker for the Cowboys.
Cowboys Have Been Open About Interest in Beckham
Beckham has been showing off his progress on social media and looks ready to roll for next season. And just because it didn’t work out last year doesn’t mean he’s fallen off the radar of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
“He’s somebody that I have the same kind of interest that I had in him during the season,” Jones told reporters at the combine.
That jibes with what Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said earlier in the offseason at the Senior Bowl when asked about the team’s interest in Beckham.
“Oh, absolutely,” Jones said. “We brought Odell Beckham Jr. in for a visit [and] decided he wasn’t ready to play. [But] that’s the way we left it with him. Get ready to play, and then let’s revisit. We obviously had an interest for a reason.”
Jones Wants to See Beckham With Star on His Helmet
Jones loves his stars, and despite a drop in production, Beckham is still one of the most recognizable names in the NFL. Jones wasn’t shy to voice his admiration of Beckham as they courted him last season.
“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.”
Beckham did not thrive with the Cleveland Browns after a trade from the New York Giants in 2019, managing just 114 catches for 1,586 yards in 29 games.
After an ugly ending with the Browns, Beckham signed with the Rams and became a significant contributor during their Super Bowl run. He caught 21 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns during the Rams’ four postseason games.
Beckham would play opposite of CeeDee Lamb, who is one of the brightest young wide receivers in the league. He caught 107 passes for 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns last season on his way to a second-straight Pro Bowl selection.
Spotrac estimates that Beckham’s market value is around $13.1 million per season.