After suffering just their second loss of the 2021 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams decided to make a splash by signing free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Why did the Rams sign OBJ, and what does it mean for the team and their Super Bowl aspirations?
Why did the Rams sign Odell Beckham Jr.?
The Los Angeles Rams are no strangers to shocking trades and surprise signings. This offseason, they traded away their starting QB Jared Goff — along with their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 — to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford. Right before the trade deadline, they also decided to make a move for Denver’s Von Miller in exchange for second- and third-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Then, only a few days after he was released by the Cleveland Browns, the Rams signed OBJ. After he cleared waivers, Beckham was reportedly deciding between the Rams and Green Bay Packers. With both teams vying for the top spot in the NFC, it was head coach Sean McVay’s squad that ended up the winners of the OBJ sweepstakes.
With all of the drama that has surrounded Beckham in the past and with one of the best records in the NFL, why did the Rams decide to sign OBJ? We might not know the exact reason for the move. But an argument can be made that Tampa Bay’s success had something to do with the Rams’ decision.
The building of “super teams” has not always been very successful in the NFL. But the Buccaneers bucked that trend last year. After signing Tom Brady in the offseason, Tampa Bay brought in guys like Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski to bolster their offense. With a plethora of weapons on the offensive side of the ball, Tampa Bay easily took home the Lombardi Trophy in 2020. Are the Rams trying to follow in the Buccaneers’ footsteps?
Why did OBJ choose the Rams over the Packers?
As mentioned above, even though there were reportedly five teams making a serious push for OBJ, his decision came down to the Rams and Packers. What did the Rams do to convince Beckham to sign? To start, they simply offered more money than Green Bay. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport, Green Bay offered OBJ a veteran’s minimum salary. With the Rams, Beckham signed a deal worth up to $4.25 million with team-based incentives.
In addition to the financial aspect, the Rams also had a number of their players reach out to OBJ personally. Both Jalen Ramsey and Robert Woods spoke with Beckham a number of times. They talked about the culture and what the star receiver could expect if he signed with them. According to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, Woods was part of a group call with OBJ to help him “feel comfortable and confident to come join our team and our receiver room, join what we have going on.”
Will OBJ help replace Robert Woods?
The same day that the Rams signed OBJ, they announced that Woods would miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL suffered during practice.
Before going down with the injury, Woods — who is in his fifth season with the Rams — was averaging 9 targets, 76.8 receiving yards, and 18.2 fantasy points per game from Weeks 5-9.
Beckham will certainly help replace some of those targets. Nevertheless, he is not the only Rams receiver who could see an increased spotlight. Former second-round pick Van Jefferson should also see an uptick in targets after becoming a reliable WR3 for Stafford.
The reality is that LA’s offense leads the NFL in three-WR sets. So you can expect to see Beckham on the field quite a bit as he gets comfortable with the team.
Can the Rams win the Super Bowl?
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Rams currently have the third-best odds to win the Super Bowl in the NFL (+700). The two teams ahead of them are the Buffalo Bills (+600) and the defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+650).
With the addition of OBJ, the Rams’ odds to win the Super Bowl did not really move. Any shift was likely offset by the injury to Woods. However, without having seen OBJ in action as a Ram, these odds could be significantly different once we see what he can do with Stafford as his QB.
Can the Rams win the Super Bowl? Yes, absolutely. Yet, they do face a stacked NFC with teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, and Green Bay Packers all vying for the top spot.
With that being said, the Super Bowl is going to be played in Los Angeles this year. Thus, the Rams would technically have home-field advantage if they get to that point. We saw what that meant for Tampa Bay in last year’s Super Bowl.