The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a splash by signing Cole Beasley, but could another move be coming as the season continues? Tom Brady went viral after the Bucs tweeted out a video of the quarterback sharing a pregame moment with free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in New Orleans. Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud said he believed the Buccaneers would be in the running to sign Beckham once he becomes fully healthy, while adding that the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints are other potential contenders to sign the wideout.
“When healthy, why wouldn’t TB [Brady] lobby for OBJ, depending on the health of the WR position? Otherwise he could rejoin the Rams or stay home with the Saints,” Stroud tweeted on September 20, 2022, when asked by a fan about the Bucs’ chances of landing Beckham.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on August 7 that Beckham could wait until October or November to sign with a team once he is cleared to take the field. Beckham sustained an ACL injury during the first half of the Rams’ Super Bowl win over the Bengals. Tampa Bay is dealing with injuries to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Julio Jones.
Beckham Signed a $90 Million Contract With the Giants Before Being Traded
Beckham signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Giants in 2018. Just one year later, New York opted to trade Beckham to the Cleveland Browns in a blockbuster trade for two future draft picks. The Browns released Beckham last November and the receiver had several suitors after becoming a free agent.
Beckham joined the Rams and became a key part of their offense on the way to the Super Bowl. The star receiver had 27 receptions for 305 yards and five touchdowns during his eight regular season appearances for Los Angeles in 2021. Beckham is likely looking to sign a short-term deal this season and once again become a free agent in 2023 when he is expected to be fully healthy. Tampa Bay has an estimated $5.8 million in remaining cap space, per Spotrac.
NFL Insider: ‘OBJ Is in Tom’s Circle’
OBJ SCORES THE FIRST TD OF THE SUPER BOWL‼️
(via @NFL)
Tampa Bay showed an interest in adding Beckham prior to signing Jones, per Rapoport. During the offseason, Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson labeled the Buccaneers as a mid-season threat to sign the star playmaker.
As Stroud mentioned, the Buccaneers will have competition with the Rams and Saints among the top potential landing spots for the receiver. Beckham took an official visit to the Rams as the star attended the team’s Super Bowl victory celebration when Los Angeles kicked off the NFL season against Buffalo.
“If OBJ rides this out — let’s say he rides it out, he’s looking healthy, he still hasn’t signed and it’s like, ‘Hey, I’m back in the mix in November. I’m running,'” Robinson noted during a June 15 episode of the “You Pod to Win the Game” podcast. “I think if Tampa Bay is where they expect to be in November, I absolutely think that Tampa Bay is the kind of team that could say, ‘Hey, man, let’s just go do this. Let’s go win this.’
“And Tom Brady and Odell Beckham Jr. are close. They have a really good relationship. Gisele and OBJ are close, they’re really good friends. And I think Tom is very influential when it comes to people that are in his circle, OK, and OBJ is in Tom’s circle.”
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Buccaneers a Potential Contender for Former $90 Million Star, Says Insider