After Cleveland cut the former New York Giants standout, Odell Beckham Jr. joined the Los Angeles Rams as a rental. NFL free agency moved quickly over the first two days, but things slowed down significantly on the third day. The league is at a relative standstill awaiting the Deshaun Watson decision. But the Rams lost out on Von Miller and Darious Williams, two of the Rams’ defensive stalwarts during their Super Bowl run.
NFL Free Agency: Could losing vital defensive players change things for Odell Beckham Jr.?
We know the nine-year veteran by now. OBJ is a particular human that won’t be a universal fit for all teams. He’s already discussed his admiration for Los Angeles and the Rams. Beckham Jr. has also discussed his desire to return.
OBJ tore his ACL with just over three minutes left in the first half of Super Bowl 56. That injury greatly affected his market. The market was then turned on its head when the Jaguars extended Christian Kirk a monster contract.
Losing Miller and Williams changes free agent/draft needs
There are still players on the market that could help ease the pain of losing Williams, but they won’t replace Miller. But by pushing to replace those defensive pieces, money might be hard to come by for OBJ. Maybe the Rams decide to go after quantity, attempting to replace Miller’s production with a few higher-profile free agents still available.
The Rams are currently sitting just slightly in the positive in terms of cap space. However, they also have the most restructuring potential of any NFL team. The Rams could target Stephon Gilmore and Casey Hayward Jr. during the NFL’s free agency window. At defensive end, they could make a run at Jadeveon Clowney.
Rams don’t need to prioritize OBJ
There’s no doubt that the Rams’ fan base wants OBJ back in yellow and blue. However, he was a Hail Mary signing to begin with. Robert Woods will return from injury. Van Jefferson is an ascending receiving talent. And Cooper Kupp is the most productive receiver in the NFL. Not to mention, they drafted Tutu Atwell with the 57th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
With needs popping up from free agency losses, the WR corps should be low on their priority list. If there is significant interest in signing Beckham to a multi-year deal around the league, he’d most likely have to take less to stay in Los Angeles.