Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. agrees to deal with Rams
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – When the Los Angeles Rams learned they had a chance to land Odell Beckham Jr., their veterans assembled in the locker room Thursday morning. Jalen Ramsey made a call, and the Rams took turns recruiting the veteran receiver to their West Coast home.
“Felt like college, huh?” receiver Robert Woods said with a grin.
The Rams clearly sold themselves and their Super Bowl vision quite well to the mercurial receiver.
Beckham agreed to a oneyear deal with Los Angeles, choosing this burgeoning super team over several potential free-agent destinations.
The Browns released the disgruntled Beckham on Monday, midway through his third season in Cleveland. He cleared waivers Tuesday with no team willing to pick up the $7.25 million he was owed under his last contract, freeing the five-time 1,000-yard wideout to sign with any team.
After considering his options and getting the fullcourt press from his future teammates, Beckham elected to join NFL yards passing leader Matthew Stafford and coach Sean McVay in the league’s most productive passing offense.
“I have a lot of respect for who he is as a player,” said Stafford, who played with Beckham in a Pro Bowl. “It’s an opportunity for us as a team. It’s an opportunity for him to come in here and prove himself to us. What our room is about, the receiver room, is pretty special. I know he’ll fit right in and just continue to get better, and hopefully it will help us as a team.”
The Rams swooped in fairly late in the courtship. They closed the deal with the swashbuckling flair that’s defined their front office under general manager Les Snead, who has rarely faced a salary cap challenge he couldn’t overcome.
The three-time Pro Bowl selection will play alongside NFL receiving leader Cooper Kupp – who has 74 catches for 1,019 yards and 10 TDs, all tops in the league – and starters Robert Woods (556 yards) and second-year pro Van Jefferson (443 yards). One of those three receivers is likely to see less playing time after Beckham joins the Rams, who have run offensive sets featuring three receivers almost exclusively this season.
That’s not a concern, according to the receivers who will be affected. With Stafford and McVay calling the shots, they believe everybody can thrive and win.
“We’re all working for the same goal,” Woods said. “His thing is, I feel like, why he left – he wanted to be a part of it and contribute, and I think just coming into this offense, he wants to work and contribute. We’re all working toward the same goal: winning, grinding. I don’t think it should be anything disruptive.”
The Rams (7-2) visit the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night before their bye week.
Beckham is the second veteran NFL star in the past two weeks to join the Rams, who seem to be trying everything to emerge from a crowded NFC so they can play in February’s Super Bowl at their own SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.