While it appears that wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wants to continue playing, it is unclear whether he will stay with the Baltimore Ravens.
Beckham, 31, will become a free agent if he does not sign a contract extension with the Ravens by March 14, one day after the start of the new league year. However, given what the organization has said and done this offseason, it is unclear whether Baltimore will have a spot for Beckham.
When asked about the three-time Pro Bowl player’s future in Baltimore at the NFL combine, coach John Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta were noncommittal.
“I know that’s probably a question that people are asking,” he remarked. “I have my fingers crossed. We will see. That’s kind of out there. Those are the things that sort of answer themselves in time.”
Beckham was the Ravens’ most expensive free agency signing in 2023, agreeing to a one-year, $15 million contract that included vacant years for salary cap purposes. After missing the whole 2022 season to recover from left knee surgery, he finished with 35 catches for 565 yards receiving, ranking second on the team. Ravens executives were impressed with his locker room presence and strong influence on young wide receivers such as Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.
The Ravens have been in contact with Beckham this offseason, and DeCosta stated that they just texted before speaking at the combine.
“I love Odell,” DeCosta remarked. “He’s become a great friend of mine and a friend to the Ravens, and I think we’ll just kind of assess and see what happens over the next couple of weeks.”
Beckham’s stats fell short of expectations, but there were some positive indicators. His average of 16.1 yards per reception was a career high. Last season, he missed just two games due to injury.
“To me, if there is anything I felt about myself — regardless of anybody’s opinion or anything like that — is that I know I can still play football, and I know I still have [s—] in the tank,” Beckham stated following the Ravens’ 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. “As far as my future, [I’ll] just take a step back, breathe for a second, pick [my] chin up, just know that life goes on, and we’ll figure out what’s next after that.”
There are various elements that will influence Beckham’s re-signing, including his cost to Baltimore’s personnel and the team’s draft strategy.
Harbaugh and DeCosta both expressed optimism that Bateman will have a breakout year in his first season without being hindered by injury. Bateman, a first-round pick in 2021, has never caught more than 50 catches in a season and has four touchdowns in 34 games.
“I think Rashod Bateman is going to take a big step,” Harbaugh stated. “Rashod will receive opportunities this year. He ran routes quite well. He worked quite hard. He was healthy for the first time, and he continued to improve throughout the year, as seen by his play. When the ball reached him, he made some incredible plays. The ball will come to him a lot more next year.
Baltimore has already brought back one veteran receiver, signing Nelson Agholor to a one-year contract before it expired last month. Agholor had fewer targets (45) and receiving yards (381), but he played 124 more snaps than Beckham.
“He brought a lot to the table this year as a player, but also as a leader,” DeCosta said in a statement. “He was ideal for that receiving room because of the manner he did business and practiced every day. The players that saw him out there every day knew he had tremendous intangibles and contributed significantly.
The Ravens might acquire a wide receiver in the draft, taking another place away from Beckham. If Baltimore does not exercise Bateman’s fifth-year option, Flowers will be the only Ravens wide receiver signed beyond the 2024 season.
“That’s a critical position; the data supports that,” DeCosta said of wide receivers. “And that’s another situation where some of these guys are like race cars; they occasionally break down. So, having depth at that position is crucial, as we saw this year.
“I believe this year’s draft will be quite deep. “This draft class is quite impressive in terms of receivers.”
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