The Los Angeles Rams essentially admitted defeat in the Odell Beckham Jr. sweepstakes recently when they took his nameplate down from the locker they were saving for him at their facility. At 3-9, there’s no chance Beckham is going to pick the Rams only to play a game or two for a losing team that won’t make the playoffs.
The Cowboys, Giants and Bills seem like the best options for the former Rams receiver, but what if no one signs him this year? That seems possible based on a new report from Cowboys reporter Ed Werder.
According to Werder, the Cowboys have concerns about Beckham’s knee after he took a physical during a visit in Dallas. They’re worried he hasn’t progressed enough in his rehab to ensure he’ll be ready to play before mid-January, which would be around wild-card weekend.
Source: The #Cowboys have concerns after Odell Beckham Jr.’s physical that his recovery from torn left ACL in Super Bowl has not progressed enough to ensure he would play before mid-January and possibility exists signing him would have no benefit until 2023 season.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) December 6, 2022
Would a team still sign Beckham knowing there’s no guarantee he even plays at all this season? If not, that actually brings the Rams back into the mix for Beckham – but not this year. They could go after him again in 2023, and you have to believe he’d be interested in rejoining them next season.
Let’s not forget there was mutual interest between the two sides throughout the offseason and early in the regular season. Beckham didn’t love the offer he got from the Rams, calling it the “lowest of low,” but he loved his time in Los Angeles and wanted to return to the Rams at one point.
It’s unclear what Beckham is seeking contract-wise, but even with the Rams projected to have only $4.2 million in cap space next year, they’d be able to fit him under the limit by moving some money around. That shouldn’t be a huge concern.
And if the Rams do end up signing him in 2023, assuming he even gets to free agency instead of signing a multi-year deal in the next few weeks, pairing him with Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson would once again give the Rams a quality trio.
This is all hypothetical and contingent on Beckham going unsigned for the rest of the season, of course. And if he does sign somewhere, it can’t be a multi-year contract. Otherwise, the Rams will be out of it in 2023.
It seemed like the possibility of Beckham ever playing for the Rams again was dead, but assuming this report of his worrisome knee is true, they could be back in the mix in about three months.
