The fact that Odell Beckham Jr. is still a free agent is somewhat surprising. Yes, he's recovering from an ACL injury, and it's not the only significant injury he's suffered over the past couple of years, but he's too good, too athletic, and too impactful not to take a risk on him.
But that doesn't mean that there's no league-wide interest in him. He's set to miss the first third of the season, but teams like the Green Bay Packers could still try and make a run at him, per ESPN's Bill Barnwell.
One of the best wideouts in the NFL, OBJ will undoubtedly fit in perfectly at Lambeau Field. The Packers lost Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and trusting rookies to make an immediate impact may not be the safest bet:
"Beckham was reportedly considering the Packers before joining the Rams last year, and while things worked out very well in Los Angeles, the circumstances have changed. The Rams have replaced Robert Woods with a big-ticket investment in Allen Robinson II," Barnwell reported.
"The Packers, meanwhile, suddenly lack a No. 1 wideout after dealing Davante Adams to the [Las Vegas] Raiders. Green Bay did draft Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs in the second and fourth round, respectively, but Beckham would get a chance to be a true WR1 with a great quarterback if he joined the Packers this time around," Barnwell added. "That opportunity just doesn’t exist anywhere else, and Beckham’s best chance of earning a significant contract in 2023 is to excel with the Packers in 2022."
But the Rams are still leading the race to bring back the Super Bowl winner. According to COO Kevin Demoff, they would've signed him already if it wasn't for their salary cap issues:
“If we didn't have a salary cap, we could've signed Odell months ago and would've loved to," Demoff told The Athletic. "Is it a multi-year deal, is it a one-year deal? All kinds of variables that come into Odell.
"The one variable that hasn't changed is how much we love him and want him to be here. I think he's expressed, over social, his desire to be here. Am I optimistic we can get a deal done over time? Yes," he added.
OBJ needs to get healthy first, but he'll have plenty of options to choose from once he's back to full strength.
