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If it came as a surprise that the Miami Dolphins released wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., it’s only because of the name.
The former 2-time NFL All-Pro had just 9 receptions for 55 yards and no touchdowns in 9 games for the Dolphins this season while playing on just a 1-year, $3 million contract.
What shouldn’t be a surprise is the likely flood of interest for Beckham from teams in need of a top-notch free agent — which it’s debatable he still is — but willing to roll the dice.
The Pewter Plank’s Josh Hill made a case for why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be one of those teams that at least kick the tires on bringing the former 2-time NFL All-Pro in for the final stretch of the season and, hopefully, the playoffs.
“After losing Chris Godwin for the season to a dislocated ankle, Tampa Bay has pushed to the edge as far as wide receiver depth,” Hill wrote. “Mike Evans missed three games, Sterling Shepard has a foot injury, and Kam Johnson was just this week designated to return from IR … With just four games left, Tampa Bay has control of the NFC South and a playoff spot but it’s not yet a firm grasp. Looking further down the road, the Bucs need to find a way to make sure they’re competitive in the playoffs, and adding a potential threat like OBJ could be a way to do that.”
One of NFL’s Most Popular Players of Last Decade
If you’ve paid even glancing attention to the NFL over the last decade you probably know Beckham — better known as OBJ — as he’s been one of the NFL’s most popular players in that time. And not always necessarily for his sustained production.
OBJ was drafted in the first round (No. 12 overall) by the New York Giants in the 2014 NFL draft out of LSU and shot to fame as a rookie for a 1-handed touchdown catch against the Dallas Cowboys — a game the Giants actually lost — that landed his jersey from that day in a display in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In the first 6 seasons of his career, few wide receivers in NFL history can compare to the run Beckham went on. He had over 1,300 receiving yards in each of his first 3 seasons and over 1,000 receiving yards in 4 of his first 5 seasons.
Beckham was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, made back-to-back NFL All-Pro Teams in 2015 and 2016 and made 3 consecutive Pro Bowls from 2014 to 2016.
Journeyman Career After Leaving Giants
While Beckham signed a 5-year, $90 million contract extension with the Giants in August 2018, he was sent away within a year thanks to a trade with the Cleveland Browns in April 2019.
Beckham had his last 1,000-yard receiving season with the Browns in 2019, missed 9 games in 2020 and was traded to the Los Angeles Rams midway through the 2021 season. He helped lead the Rams to a win in Super Bowl LVI but tore his ACL midway through the game and sat out all of 2022.
Beckham played 2023 on a 1-year, $15 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens and only had 35 receptions for 565 yards and 3 touchdowns.
