With Mike Evans re-signed to a two-year contract, Odell Beckham is one of the top free agent wide receivers set to hit the open market. While he’s not in the same tier as guys like Calvin Ridley and Marquise Brown, he should receive a decent amount of interest from teams looking to bolster their depth chart.
Odell Beckham started off slow in 2023, but the free agent wide receiver came to life as the season progressed. While he finished the year with a relatively unimpressive 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns, it’s worth noting that, according to Pro Football Focus, Beckham’s 90.0 receiving grade from Weeks 9-14 was second only to Tyreek Hill.
This hot stretch means that Odell Beckham should have some interest as a free agent, but it won’t come from the Ravens. At least, that’s what ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler had to say. In a recent article, Fowler noted that Baltimore has internally decided to part ways with the veteran, meaning that the three-time Pro Bowler will change jerseys once again in 2024.
Ravens Will Not Re-Sign Free Agent Wide Receiver Odell Beckham
Nobody should be too surprised to see Odell Beckham depart as a free agent. The Ravens have an absurd amount of high-level free agents set to hit the open market, including but not limited to Justin Madubuike, Patrick Queen, Geno Stone, Kevin Zeitler, and Jadeveon Clowney. The salary cap makes it impossible to re-sign all of those players, so Beckham could have easily been the victim of the numbers game.
What is surprising, however, is the Ravens seem to have already accepted they won’t re-sign Odell Beckham as a free agent. Fowler’s report comes from the NFL Combine, the unofficial home of illegal tampering. Perhaps the Ravens found out that Beckham will receive a big offer on the open market, or perhaps the team simply believes they can find a better fit elsewhere. Whatever the reason, these five teams could pursue him in free agency.
Best Team Fits
New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers needs more help at wide receiver, and the 40-year-old quarterback is at the stage in his career where he doesn’t want to deal with the growing pains of a rookie wide receiver. Garrett Wilson is a young star in the making, but he can’t do it all on his own. With Allen Lazard crashing and burning during his first season with the Jets, New York could use a free agent like Odell Beckham. Beckham isn’t going to set the world on fire by any means, but he can be a reliable secondary option for a team that could use another set of hands.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have made just about every wrong imaginable over the past 12 months, but one of the few good decisions they made was signing Adam Thielen. Released by the Minnesota Vikings, Carolina made a gamble that the former undrafted free agent still had something left in his tank. That wager paid off, as the aging veteran was the lone bright spot in the passing attack. Now, history has a chance to repeat itself with free agent Odell Beckham. The Panthers need at least two reliable wide receivers, so perhaps they could double-dip with Beckham and someone like Calvin Ridley. Seeing as Brian Burns could leave in free agency, they’ll have the money to make this happen.
Dallas Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb is a star, but the Dallas Cowboys need another reliable weapon in the passing attack. Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup are both well past their prime, and Dak Prescott can’t throw it to Lamb on every single dropback. Odell Beckham proved he can handle being the second or third option in a passing attack last year, and the free agent is exactly what the Cowboys need. As an added bonus, Beckham would probably welcome the opportunity to play against his old team twice a year.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the most fascinating offseasons of any team. With L’Jarius Sneed on the franchise tag and Chris Jones set to hit unrestricted free agency, they might not have the money to invest in one of the top wide receivers in free agency. If they’re strapped for cash, they could decide to target free agent Odell Beckham. Beckham isn’t going to break the bank by any stretch of the imagination, and he’d be a good pairing with Rashee Rice and a rookie in this loaded draft class.
Atlanta Falcons
Arthur Smith is gone, which means it’s time for Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts to show the world what they can do. These three all have the potential to be great, but the Falcons don’t have too much receiving depth behind these three – especially at wide receiver. The Falcons will have a new quarterback next year, and they could use a good-but-not-great free agent like Odell Beckham to solidify the defense and make the transition that much easier.
Main Photo: Tommy Gilligan – USA Today Sports
