RAVENS SIGN FA WR ODELL BECKHAM JR ON A ONE-YEAR, $18 MILLION DEAL
The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a deal in principle to sign free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr, the team confirmed on Sunday.
Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the deal is a one-year contract worth up to $18 million, with $15 million of it in guaranteed money. Beckham’s contract includes a base salary of $1.165 million and a signing bonus of $13.835 million with the remaining $3 million in “reachable” incentives. The deal was negotiated by Elite Athlete Management and Beckham’s long-term agent Zeke Sandhu.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported last week that Beckham and his agents were seeking an amount in the region of $20 million a year before ESPN’s Rich Cimini put out this weekend that Beckham was thought to be looking for a one-year offer of $15 million.
The three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver now signs an acceptable deal that includes the most money to a free agent wide receiver. No other free agent WR has received more than $11 million per year this offseason, with the most guaranteed money given out being $22 million to New York Jets wideout Allen Lazard. Lazard signed a four-year, $44 million deal with New York last month.
According to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, Beckham’s deal also features voidable years to make compensation work with the Ravens’ cap, similar to what Beckham discussed for weeks with the New York Jets.
Beckham was scheduled to fly into the New York area on Sunday evening for a Monday visit with the Jets after their earlier sit down at the NFL Annual Owners Meetings a few weeks ago. The former New York Giant told Anderson on Saturday ahead of Monday’s visit that he “was feeling more love from the Ravens”.
Beckham initially broke the news on his Instagram, posting several pictures of his son, Zydn, dressed in a Lamar Jackson jersey and a Ravens hat, captioning both photos with the word, “Flock”.
According to The Score’s Jordan Schultz, Beckham and quarterback Lamar Jackson have had multiple conversations during free agency about teaming up together and winning a Super Bowl with the Ravens. Jackson posted a picture of him FaceTiming with Beckham on his Instagram stories just after news of Beckham’s signing went public.
After months of what appeared to be a deadlock in negotiations, this latest development appears to be an indication, after Jackson’s trade request last month that he might be willing to stay in Baltimore after all.
The addition of Beckham not only improves the league’s least productive wide receiver group but serves as enticement for Jackson to consider a return to Baltimore, at least for another year. Beckham is set to be Jackson’s most accomplished wide receiver at the NFL level. Jackson, however, has yet to sign the non-exclusive franchise tag placed on him by the Ravens as he and the team continues negotiations on a long-term deal.
CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson also confirms that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has been in “frequent communication” with Odell Beckham Jr., pitching the former Super Bowl champion on the idea of coming to Baltimore, the support he would have with the team and the necessity of helping to square things with Lamar Jackson as well.
Beckham’s signing was welcomed by both fans and players with Ravens’ Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey tweeting, “Want to be best friends and win a Super Bowl?? Let’s get it!” Humphrey and Beckham had fiery encounters when Beckham was in Cleveland and will now face off against each other every week in practice.
Ravens’ first-ballot Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis responded to the news by saying simply, “Welcome to the flock, OBJ!”
Beckham’s move to Baltimore reunites him with his former offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who was the offensive play caller for the Cleveland Browns in 2019. That year, Beckham was targeted 133 times, catching 74 passes for 1,035 receiving yards.
Monken was asked by reporters about the 30-year-old wide receiver this spring. “I really like Odell,” said Monken. “Super athletic, twitchy, really likes football. I really did [like him]. It didn’t work out the year I was there but ultimately, he’s like every skill player. He’s no different…”
“He wants the ball. I don’t know where I’ve been where a great player didn’t want the ball. They want an opportunity to showcase their ability. I think it’s awesome. I think he’s tremendously skilled and I like his personality. He likes to compete.”
A competitive nature is just one aspect of what Beckham is expected to bring to the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, with leadership and production at the wide receiver position being the other major factors. Beckham is expected to compete with and complement third-year wide receiver, Rashod Bateman, who has had a tough start to his NFL career with injuries. The two receivers are close friends and are both coming off injury plagued campaigns.
Only the second addition to the Ravens offense this offseason, after the vapid addition of Nelson Agholor last month, Odell Beckham Jr. is welcomed news not only by Ravens fans but also national media. With a new offensive coordinator and most players returning back to full health, Baltimore’s 2023 offense might just be looking up.
After two years of inconsistency and frustration on that side of the football, the Ravens are just a step or two away from being a complete offensive unit this year. Whether it’s Lamar Jackson or Tyler Huntley in 2023, one thing is for sure, for the first time in a long time, the Ravens aren’t beginning the season with one hand tied behind their back.
If anything, Beckham’s addition is an indication that the team is moving away from their lack of investment on offense to a pragmatic input of cash on that side of the football. And with Todd Monken at the helm, hopefully the club will be moving away from a run-first type of offense to a more complimentary style of football that fully maximizes Jackson’s talents and that of his entire supporting cast.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.