BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens went into the offseason knowing they would need to shore up what was the worst receiving corps in the NFL last season, regardless of how the Lamar Jackson saga plays out.
They did exactly that on Sunday evening, inking a one year deal with free agent Odell Beckham Jr. that guarantees the 30-year-old $15 million in 2023 - the largest investment the franchise has ever made in a wideout.
The move not only helps Baltimore at a key area of need, it sends a direct message to Jackson - who demanded a trade a month ago but is still with Baltimore - that they are willing to put pieces around him to build a Super Bowl contender.
Locked on NFL host Kevin Oestreicher believes Beckham is a monumental addition for the birds, even if he’s not quite the same player he was earlier in his career.
“Odell is not the Odell we saw in New York,” Oestreicher said. “But to me Odell is still a low-end wide receiver one. He can still give you very quality snaps next to a guy like Rashod Bateman.”
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Beckham’s recruiting pitch to keep Jackson in Baltimore started almost as soon as the ink dried on his contract. Beckham announced his signing on Sunday by posting a picture of his one-year-old son, Zydn, wearing a Lamar Jackson Baltimore jersey.
For a franchise who has not had a Pro Bowl wide receiver since 1996, bringing Beckham into the fold is a promising development and one that could keep Jackson, a 26-year-old former MVP, in Baltimore long term.