FRISCO, Texas — Time will tell if the Dallas Cowboys sign free-agent receiver Odell Beckam Jr. to bolster what is their weakest position group.
A lot of moving parts are still undetermined, including the status of Beckham's recovery from a torn ACL, his contract demands and interest from other teams.
But the team is seemingly all in on recruiting the former three-time Pro Bowler to the Cowboys and envisioning him with a blue star on his helmet.
One day after coach Mike McCarthy openly lauded Beckham’s skills as a receiver and acknowledged that the Cowboys had done their due diligence on his background and character, owner Jerry Jones doubled down on the team’s interest.
“Odell is someone that we have all the appreciation in the world for what he is as a competitor,” Jones said. “I know the Cowboys star on that helmet, when he puts it on, could look pretty good.”
The Cowboys locker room is also ready to welcome Beckham.
All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons, who is unquestionably the team’s best player and the leader on defense, took to Twitter on Tuesday morning trying to recruit Beckham to the Cowboys: “Man obj talk to me !! @obj let’s do this sh--!!!”
Jones said there no real concerns about Beckham’s injury and how he would fit with the Cowboys.
The main issue is trying to get him signed. He wants a multi-year deal and has other suitors in the Green Bay Packers, the Buffalo Bills, the San Francisco 49ers, the New York Giants and possibly the Kansas City Chiefs.
“We should be aware that he’s coming off this injury, but he showed he can do it, and do it well last year,” Jones said. “So that would go in the mix real good. His past dealing with adversity of injury rehab, I think that tells you a lot. ...
“I think a veteran player, such as Odell, my experience has been when we’ve brought a veteran player in, they hit the ground running in terms of being able to compete. That usually is not a big factor when we think about whether or not a player can fit. Now, the player’s individual skills, his people skills as well as his past experience in terms of the systems that he’s been in, if (a player) has been with several teams. All of those weigh in on it. I think that you’re looking at a player that his experience far outweighs any of that ambiguity involved with how he’s going to fit your system.”
Beckham has been sidelined since tearing his ACL in Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams. He is expected to be fully cleared to return to action by the end of the week.
