The New York Jets got close to landing a big fish last year in free agency but just came up short.
The Jets’ fortunes will change this time around, predicted ESPN’s Aaron Schatz, when they sign Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency and give quarterback Aaron Rodgers another wide receiver target.
“What Rodgers wants, Rodgers gets. And he wants more playmakers,” Schatz wrote in a January 7 story about each team’s offseason priorities. “So the Jets will bring in receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency after his contract with the Ravens automatically voids.
OBJ’s one-year, $15 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens will automatically void after this season, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Jets Aggressively Pursued OBJ Last Year; Why Wouldn’t They Do It Again?
Last offseason, Gang Green was all in on landing OBJ, making a “very competitive” offer to Beckham in 2023, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
They scheduled a visit with the talented pass catcher, but it never took place. Baltimore stepped up to the plate with its contract offer and prevented him from getting on the plane.
According to Bleacher Report, Fowler said on “SportsCenter” in April 2023 that OBJ “probably should’ve been a Jet” based on how talks were going between the two sides.
Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner said, “Odell wanted to play here” and explained how close a deal was to happening.
“It was to the point where he was picking his jersey. He was telling me, like, ‘Hey, ask so-and-so if I can get the jersey [number I want].’ He was going to wear number 7,” Gardner said, according to Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated.
OBJ was also featured on Rodgers’ wish list that he discussed with the Jets regarding players he’d like to play with.
If the Jets were that aggressive and that close to landing Beckham in 2023, why wouldn’t they try again to acquire him if he became available just a year later?
The Jets Might Be Able to Land OBJ at a Discount
One of the reasons the green and white didn’t reel in OBJ was because of the lucrative contract he signed with Baltimore.
“That’s something the Jets couldn’t quite get to,” Fowler said, according to Bleacher Report. “Maybe if there was more time, they would’ve gotten close enough to get it done. I do believe Beckham was intrigued about playing with Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers was intrigued about playing with Beckham. Just didn’t come together, but it was very close.”
However, OBJ didn’t have the season he or the Ravens were hoping for.
Beckham appeared in 14 of the 17 games but made only six starts. He finished with just 35 receptions for 565 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.
OBJ hasn’t recorded a 1,000-yard season since 2019.
Perhaps that lack of recent success will lower his asking price, making him even more attractive to Gang Green.
The Jets need to add another pass catcher this offseason. General manager Joe Douglas made that a clear point of emphasis when speaking to the media on Monday, January 8.
OBJ would be a low-risk, high-reward kind of move for the Jets to consider.
Putting him across from Garrett Wilson would provide Rodgers with two standout options heading into the 2024 season.
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Jets Predicted to Sign $15 Million Ex-Pro Bowl WR to Pair With Aaron Rodgers