The Cowboys courtship of Odell Beckham Jr. continues.
If both sides determine they want to go into the future together, it will be with the understanding that the veteran receiver is unlikely to play before the regular season is done.
Beckham hasn’t played since tearing his ACL during the Super Bowl earlier this year. Several people with knowledge of his status told The Dallas Morning News it appears his rehabilitation will extend into the postseason.
Jerry Jones has been consistent in saying a move of this magnitude will be made with the present and future in mind. Does the potential of having Beckham available for only part of a playoff run this season fit those parameters?
This is what the Cowboys and other teams interested in Beckham must weigh. If he’s not ready to return to the field before the playoffs start, what’s the assurance he’ll make it back before they end? How wise is it to insert a player into your scheme for the first time all season when the games mean the most?
This is what club officials are sorting through. It explains why Jones, in his bi-weekly segment on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM] Tuesday morning, took a long pause before responding to a question about Beckham’s ability to play this season.
“I’m gonna kind keep that one at bay,” Jones said.
Tuesday marked the second day of Beckham’s visit with the Cowboys. One item on his itinerary was to meet with the team’s leadership council.
Beckham visited the New York Giants and Buffalo before his trip to The Star. He didn’t work out for any of those teams.
No workout is telling. This isn’t an actor reaching the stage of his or her career that they don’t have to read for a part. This is a 30-year old athlete coming off a major injury — the second ACL tear to his left knee in a span of two years — that needs to show a team he’s back.
When asked Tuesday morning if he was comfortable signing someone coming off a major injury without seeing him workout, Jones responded, “Well, I’m not confident at all. And, so that’s the issue.”
It’s clear Beckham isn’t ready to contribute at the moment. The question then becomes is he close enough that he can contribute in the playoffs?
Beckham played a significant role in the LA Rams’ run to the Super Bowl, catching 21 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns in last year’s postseason. He had nine receptions for 113 yards in the team’s win over San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game and scored a touchdown in the team’s Super Bowl win over Cincinnati.
That’s the lure of Beckham. The reality is he can’t be counted on to contribute in the final five games of the regular season.
Any deal would be dependent on what he might be able to do for a Cowboys team in the playoffs.
That’s the leap of faith both sides must navigate in trying to structure a contract.
