O WITH THE FLOW
ODELL VOWS NO NORMAN REDUX
A few days before what is sure to be a spirited duel with corner back Jalen Ramsey, Odell Beckham Jr. promised he has learned his lesson and will not engage the gifted, chatty Jaguars cornerback in anything other than good clean football.
Perhaps Beckham can thank Josh Norman and growing wiser with age for his newfound maturity.
“I don’t want to say I’m a different person, but I have different outlooks and perspectives on things,’’ Beckham said Wednesday during an introspective session with the media. “I’ve had a lot happen and you take it and learn and grow from it.’’
For those not well-versed in the Odell Files, back in Week 15 of the 2015 season he and Norman, then the Panthers’ top cornerback, engaged in flammable rhetoric in the days leading up to the game and then went haywire on the field. Beckham was hit with three personal fouls and Norman was called for two during an out-of-control series of altercations. One time, Beckham launched himself at Norman with a helmet-to-helmet dive. The Panthers won 38-35 at MetLife Stadium and the NFL suspended Beckham for the next game.
Now comes Ramsey, 23, another top corner with a reputation for running his mouth. Already this summer he has ripped many NFL quarterbacks, including Eli Manning, and was suspended for a week of training camp by the Jaguars for lashing out at the media via Twitter. Of Beckham, Ramsey said, “Yeah, he’s good, but I’m good too,’’ and predicted, “We’re going to give the people a show the first game of the season.’’
Ramsey tries to get under the skin of opposing receivers, but he does have a relationship with Beckham. The two hung out together in the offseason.
“I was joking with him, ‘When we play you what happens when we run this, that and the other.’ And next thing I know the schedule is out and we play them the first game,’’ Beckham said. “It’s funny how life works and how God works and how everything works; we got matched up Week 1.
“I’m sure it won’t be as friendly as it was over the offseason. We’re both very, very competitive. I know that for sure.’’
Beckham raved about Ramsey as a defensive player.
“If he’s not 1A, he’s 1B,’’ Beckham said. “The only other person I know like that is Patrick Peterson. He’s what, 6-3, 215 (actually 6-1, 208), he runs 4.3, he’s got all the intangibles. He’s athletic, and he’s just good. He does it all.’’
Leonard Fournette, the Jaguars’ bullish running back, called it “an epic showdown.’’ Coach Pat Shurmur, who worked at developing a solid relationship with his superstar receiver, said he is not worried about Beckham keep- ing his composure.
“And certainly I will not comment on another player’s comments,’’ Shurmur said, referring to Ramsey. “That’s not for me to discuss. They’re both outstanding players and there’s going to be times in the game where they’re up against one another and that will be a fun thing for people to keep track of, but they’re a team that plays zone, too, so it’s going to be about the combinations more than the matchups sometimes. We’ll just let that play out, but I don’t really worry about that.’’
If the 25-year-old Beckham could tell the 23-yearold Beckham anything, it would be to ignore the noise and do not take the bait. Beckham recalled hearing all the reports about Norman’s yapping at him leading into the 2015 matchup. He fired back and could not hold back when things heated up on the field.
“Blah, blah, blah and the stories in the papers are written and it was all set up to happen what exactly happened,’’ Beckham said. “I kinda, just seeing things different now and just knowing it is gonna be a matchup but it’s not something that you repeat.
“I took the cheese, so I can’t be mad at anything that happened. I bit on it so it’s all good.’’
Beckham and Ramsey have never matched up on the field. Manning pointed out Ramsey usually lines up on the right side. Still, everyone knows Beckham will see a great deal of Ramsey. Beckham, who has not played in a game since surgery last fall to repair a fractured left ankle, said he is excited for the duel.
“Definitely ,’’ he said. “Honesty, I’m more excited about just playing football again, to be real with you. It is an exciting matchup. It’s a good test for yourself in the first game against the best defense in the league.’’