What do the Miami Dolphins need to reach the Super Bowl? How about another star wide receiver?
Odell Beckham Jr. is a free agent, and the Dolphins are reportedly interesting in signing the veteran wideout. After visiting the team on March 21, coach Mike McDaniel confirmed at the annual NFL owners meeting in Orlando that Miami had reached out with an offer.
“We did make him an offer and business takes time, especially with players such as Odell, who’s had a phenomenal career, still has really good football in front of them and has options,” McDaniel said Monday, adding negotiations were ongoing. “… We’ll see where they go.”
With the NFL Draft approaching, could a 31-year-old OBJ really join Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill in Miami? Here’s what we know:
Has Odell Beckham signed with an NFL team?
As of March 29, Odell Beckham is still a free agent. He was with the Baltimore Ravens last season, making 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns from NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. But the team released him March 14, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday it was a financial decision. Beckham’s one-year contract in Baltimore was worth $15 million.
OBJ said farewell to the Ravens in an Instagram post: “I appreciate the Flock more than yall could EVER imagine,” he wrote. “Did everything I could wit the opportunities I had. Wish I got to do it big for yall .”
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A post shared by Odell Beckham Jr (@obj)
Beckham visited the Dolphins on March 21, and coach Mike McDaniel said the team made the receiver an offer. They’re the only team known to have offered him a contract.
Where would Odell Beckham fit in with the Dolphins?
Odell Beckham would be yet another addition to coach Mike McDaniel’s stable of speed demons. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led the NFL last season with 4,624 passing yards, and his top wideout, Tyreek Hill, led the league with 1,799 receiving yards. Hill, aka “Cheetah,” was flanked by fellow speedy receiver Jaylen Waddle, who had 1,014 yards (27th).
Beckham would slot in as the No. 3 receiver behind Hill and Waddle. OBJ isn’t the same player he was at his peak, but when healthy, he’s still capable of being yet another downfield threat, as he showed at times last season.
Why is Odell Beckham Jr. so popular?
Odell Beckham burst into popular culture in his 2014 rookie season. A lot of that is thanks to making one of the most famous catches in NFL history on Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys.
OBJ was one of the best wideouts in the NFL for his first three seasons before injuries started to pile up. Drama always seemed to follow Beckham, from the boat trip he and his teammates took in Miami before a playoff loss at Green Bay in 2017 to his being removed from a flight from Miami in 2022. His outspoken nature has made him a polarizing figure in sports. When the Giants traded him to the Cleveland Browns in 2019 despite signing him to an extension the previous season, Beckham said he felt like New York “sent me off to Cleveland to die.”