[
www.turfshowtimes.com] Is OBJ following Von Miller again? Reunion with Rams seems less likely now
The 5 teams that OBJ would reportedly want to play for this season
By Kenneth Arthur@KennethArthuRS Oct 7, 2022, 11:34am CDT
NFL: Super Bowl LVI-Los Angeles Rams Championship Parade
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
We know that Odell Beckham Jr. wants to play football this season, once he’s ready to return from the torn ACL he suffered in the Super Bowl ... or according to OBJ, before the Super Bowl. Two things that are unclear: What does OBJ want out of this season and which teams are mutually interested in a pact with OBJ?
I think we may be taking the second question for granted. Does every team that OBJ wants, want OBJ?
On Thursday, Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson detailed why OBJ followed Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams and why Miller could be the reason that OBJ signs with the Buffalo Bills eventually. This coming after OBJ tweeted at former player/current analyst Marcus Spears a presumable confirmation of five teams he’d play for: Chiefs, Packers, Bills, Ravens, and Rams.
Did OBJ just give his list of teams? pic.twitter.com/3Mijl14YFT
— PFF (@PFF) October 6, 2022
My first question: Did OBJ and Spears really have this exchange impromptu or does OBJ set people up offline, “Hey, I want to get this message out there but I can’t do it directly. Would you give me these five teams as destinations on Twitter?”
Otherwise, what does Beckham care which teams Spears thinks he’s going to, if he knows that Spears would just be guessing like any other person?
Beckham may want to be getting the message out that he really hopes he can play with Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Matthew Stafford again. Notice the teams not on the list:
He doesn’t want to play with Daniel Jones.
He doesn’t want to play with Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr.
He doesn’t want to play with Justin Fields, Matt Ryan, Baker Mayfield, or Jameis Winston.
OBJ wants to play with a quarterback who he feels will be prolific and potentially win a Super Bowl, and it’s not a coincidence that the list of five teams includes three MVPs, three Super Bowl winners, and arguably the best quarterback in the game today who hasn’t won an MVP or the Super Bowl.
How many of these teams would want OBJ though? Yes, Beckham joined the Rams for their stretch run to winning the Super Bowl. He was also kind of Allen Robinson-esque in doing so, but with the caveat that at least he scored touchdowns. Beckham had under 40 receiving yards in six of his eight regular season games with the Rams and a season-high of 81 yards, but that came on 10 targets.
Now OBJ is 30, recovering from ACL surgery, and unless he signs with the Rams, learning a new offense and a new quarterback again.
In Buffalo, Stefon Diggs remains the number one. Gabe Davis hasn’t had the breakout expected of him yet, as he has just four catches and 50 yards in the last two games after missing Week 2.
The Packers leading receiver is rookie Romeo Doubs, now at 19 catches and 184 yards through four games, but averaging only 7.7 yards per target. Former Ram Sammy Watkins, a player taken ahead of OBJ in the 2014 draft, is on injured reserve.
Mahomes’ leading wide receiver is JuJu Smith-Schuster. Probable as he is to have 800 or 900 yards, JuJu isn’t reverting back to his early days with the Steelers, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling isn’t going to be more than a third option.
And the Ravens should be over the moon for second-year wideout Rashod Bateman, although he has only caught 50-percent of his 22 targets. That’s still nine more targets than any other wide receiver in Baltimore and other than Devin Duvernay, there isn’t another option.
Of course, the Rams also present a scenario that can easily fit in OBJ too: Robinson has been underwhelming, Ben Skowronek is not a great choice to be starting, Van Jefferson is on IR, and Tutu Atwell is missing.
But does OBJ want to join the Rams unless they turn around the offense and unless Stafford starts playing like the good Stafford again?
His best option might actually be one of the other four teams, and L.A.’s best salesmen for OBJ, Von Miller, is now on one of those other four teams.
