FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy initially said all the right things about the team’s two-day visit with free agent receiver Odell Beckham.
“I thought the visit went very well. I know personally, extremely impressed with Odell and enjoyed our time together,” McCarthy said on Wednesday morning. “I liked his vibe. Just everything about our talk. We didn’t talk a whole lot about football. We talked more about life and family. I think for the most part, it was a very positive, productive visit.”
The goal of the visit was to hopefully sign Beckham to a contract as possible difference-making addition to a Super Bowl run this season.
And in that respect, there is little momentum towards getting a deal done.
Beckham has not played since suffering a torn ACL in Super Bowl 56 last February as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
Per source, the Cowboys have concerns about when Beckham will be ready to play.
Linebacker Micah Parsons said Beckham told him during their trip to Mavs game it would be “5 weeks” before he’s ready to play.
Is that soon enough for the Cowboys?
Owner Jerry Jones said that the medical and him being able to make an impact this season is paramount for the Cowboys.
But Jones has not moved on.
He said on Wednesday that the team is still talking to Beckham, “we are still working on it.”
Beckham, who has also visited and drawn interest from the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants, wants a deal through the 2023 season.
He left Dallas on Tuesday with the plan of contemplating his offers and options.
“I really don’t have an update,” said McCarthy, who curiously pointed out that he hadn’t yet talked to anyone in the front office about Beckham Wednesday morning.
Is Beckham close to playing?
“I think just like anything, the other part of it going through it, I think we all recognize, this is a very unique situation,” McCarthy said. “I’ve never been part of this type of situation in December. There are a lot of variables as far as the medical. Obviously there’s always a financial component and a coaching component, so you obviously know where my conversation was focused on. As far as the evaluation for anything in the medical realm, I don’t ever speak on that.”
“Not only do I not speak on the medical, I don’t speak on the financial,” McCarthy added. “That’s the business component. I could not tell you specifically how far those conversations went.”
And when asked if he learned enough during the visit that he still still wants Beckham to join the Cowboys if the business can get worked out, McCarthy punted.
“I think the biggest thing is to get through those questions on exactly where he is,” McCarthy said. “I think it’s like anything, the rehab process, we talk about this all the time, return to play, I could not tell you specifically where he is.”
How about you? Where are you on Beckham?
“Well, who the hell do you think is sitting up here?,” McCarthy answered rhetorically before punting again. “Can I just go with the same answer I’ve given?“
