Odell Beckham Jr.

As spring turns into summer and NFL training camps draw nearer, free agency has wound down. Most of the players who will make a sizable impact this season already know where they will play in 2022.

However, there are a few big names who are still on the open market. Some are holding out (at least in a fashion) in the hopes for a bigger and better deal than what they have been offered to date. Others have a cloudy future due to an injury.

Odell Beckham Jr. falls into that latter camp. After tearing his ACL in Super Bowl LVI, the 29-year-old's availability for the 2022 campaign remains a question mark. But while Beckham hasn't recently been able to post the gaudy numbers that he did over his first few years in New York, we saw some flashes in L.A. of that player who took the NFL by storm back in 2014 and 2015.

And if that type of player is able to get back on the field for the stretch run, then with the right fit Beckham could be the ultimate wild card, the sort of difference-maker who can mean the difference between a cup of coffee in the postseason and a run all the way to Glendale, Arizona, and Super Bowl LVII.

At first glance, Beckham's 2021 doesn't look especially impressive. Over 14 games split between the Rams and Cleveland Browns, Beckham caught just 44 passes for 537 yards and five touchdowns. His 12.2 yards per reception was the second-lowest mark of his career. His average of 38.4 receiving yards per game was his lowest by a sizable margin.

But dig a little deeper, and the picture brightens considerably. All five of Beckham's regular-season scores came after he joined the Rams. So did his best single-week stat line of the entire season—a five catch, 81-yard effort (with a touchdown) in a Week 12 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Once the playoffs got underway, Beckham truly emerged.

The three-time Pro Bowler caught all four of his targets for 54 yards and a score in the wild-card matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. He followed that up with six catches for 69 yards on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Then he exploded to the tune of nine catches for 113 yards in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers. And then he reeled in two passes for 52 yards and a touchdown before his knee gave way in the Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

All told, Beckham had 21 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in four postseason games. Extrapolated over an entire regular season, that would equate to a beefy 89/1,224/9 stat line. Those numbers would be Beckham's best since 2016.

That hot streak ended in heartbreaking fashion for Beckham. But as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com told The Pat McAfee Show, there was a silver lining. It allowed doctors to go in and fix Beckham's knee properly after surgery to fix his 2020 tear didn't go well.

"When Odell tore his ACL with the Browns ... it did not sound like [the surgery] went as well as anyone would've hoped," Rapoport said. "So before the Rams signed Odell Beckham this past season ... the knee was a concern because it was not 100 percent healthy. And I don't believe they would have given him a long-term deal just based on the knee because it was troubling. ... This past surgery went really well, and he probably is going to have extended his career."

The Rams may not have wanted to give Beckham a long-term deal. But despite OBJ's injury and the fact that L.A. acquired Allen Robinson as a new running mate for Cooper Kupp, head coach Sean McVay made it clear during a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show that Los Angeles hasn't ruled out running it back with Beckham in 2022:

"I really want Odell back on our team. He's a guy that in a short amount of time we were able to develop a really special relationship. I thought he brought a great spark to our team. I thought he played really well. He's a great teammate. We all know what a charisma and a presence that he has, but he is truly a great teammate, made so many impactful plays. It was a shame to see him go down in that game, but man, he sure still made an impact with those two catches that he did have and without a doubt want to get Odell back here."

Per Rapoport, a reunion with the Rams remains the most likely outcome for Beckham this season. That makes sense on more than one level. OBJ has already shown a comfort level with the team and quarterback Matthew Stafford. Once he's healthy, a trio of Kupp, Robinson and Beckham would be one of most potent in the NFL.

For his part, Beckham isn't ruling out a return to Los Angeles either. 

There are some other playoff contenders who would be well-served to at least kick the tires on bringing Beckham in. The Packers have won 13 games in each of the last three seasons, but they have massive question marks at wide receiver after they dealt Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. On yet another radio appearance, Rapoport reported that Green Bay could have Beckham on their radar.

"This is a great WR market for the Packers & I think they're gonna be involved for Jarvis Landry, Julio Jones & OBJ" ~@RapSheet#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/UXRLxnqNFK

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 10, 2022

The Baltimore Ravens also traded their No. 1 wide receiver (Marquise Brown) in the offseason, leaving second-year pro Rashod Bateman as the presumptive No. 1 atop a very shaky depth chart at the position.

The Dallas Cowboys have CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup but not a lot behind that duo. It's a similar case with the Indianapolis Colts, who have Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie Alec Pierce.

To be clear, it is unrealistic to think that Beckham will step in and save the day starting in Week 1. We are talking about a player who will turn 30 in November after tearing his ACL in February. Per the Mayo Clinic, rehab time for an ACL injury is at least eight months, which would sideline Beckham into October. He'll more likely than not open the regular season on the physically unable to perform list.

The thing is, with the exception of Green Bay, none of the above teams are looking for a savior at wide receiver. They don't need a No. 1 wideout. They should be in the thick of the mix for a playoff spot with or without OBJ.

The Packers will be too. They play in one of the league's weaker divisions. Relax.

But while Beckham may not be able to save a team, he showed last year that he can boost a club over the top. He can make opponents pay for bracketing a team's No. 1 wideout. And he can take pressure off that wideout when he does.

It's a movie we just saw as Beckham played the role of late-season lottery ticket, of the wild card who propels a team over the top.

There's no reason to think he can't do it again. The only difference is that this time he'll be on the sidelines for half of the season instead of languishing in Cleveland.

The Green Bay Packers selected three wide receivers during the 2022 NFL draft, but they may not be done adding at the position.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport highlighted Odell Beckham Jr., Julio Jones and Jarvis Landry as potential fits for the NFC North team, although he wasn't sure if there was mutual interest for Landry.

"All those guys would make sense for Green Bay, who I would say might add another receiver at some point," he said.

Wide receiver was an obvious position of need for the Packers heading into the draft considering they traded superstar Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders and lost Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.

While they passed on adding one with either of their two first-round picks, they drafted North Dakota State's Christian Watson in the second round, Nevada's Romeo Doubs in the fourth round and Nebraska's Samori Toure in the seventh round.

They all bring upside, especially in the case of Watson, but trusting any of them to come close to making up for the loss of Adams or Valdes-Scantling as rookies for a Super Bowl contender may also be unwise.

It follows, then, that Green Bay would be interested in more proven veterans such as Beckham, Jones and Landry.

Beckham is coming off a torn ACL he suffered in the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl victory, but the three-time Pro Bowler has five seasons with more than 1,000 yards on his resume and once again looked the part of a major contributor with five touchdown catches in eight regular season games for the Rams.

He also caught a touchdown in the Super Bowl win prior to the injury.

Elsewhere, Jones is a future Hall of Famer with a resume that includes seven Pro Bowl selections, two All-Pro nods and two seasons when he led the league in receiving yards. He isn't far removed from his seventh season with more than 1,100 receiving yards in 2019 and will surely be motivated to bounce back from the career-worst 434 receiving yards he finished with in 2021 for the Tennessee Titans.

Landry may not be as big of a name as Jones or Beckham, but the five-time Pro Bowler could be a veteran leader and playmaker in the slot for a Packers team that may be a game-changing receiver away from delivering on realistic Super Bowl aspirations.          

Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller may not be on the Rams anymore, but they're going to have a large say in how the team's Super Bowl rings look.

Jason of Beverly Hills told TMZ Sports he's been working with Beckham and Miller regularly to get their input on the design of the rings.

Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald, who currently are on the Rams roster, have also been working on finalizing the design. 

"That is going to be a legendary ring," Jason said. "I'm from L.A., so to make the best Super Bowl ring in history is a big deal to me."

Jason has been responsible for the title rings worn by Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in recent years. 

Beckham remains a free agent, while Miller signed a massive $120 million contract with the Buffalo Bills in March. 

Odell Beckham Jr. probably doesn't have a future in the news-breaking game.

That said, his trolling game is on point.

Beckham briefly sent social media into a frenzy Saturday afternoon when he "broke" the news Deebo Samuel had been traded to the New England Patriots. The only problem was Samuel hadn't been traded and the Patriots are not even considered a contender for his services.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler broke down the situation Sunday on SportsCenter, saying the Samuel situation could be a "long process."

"I never got the sense the Patriots were involved, that his price tag would be too rich," Fowler said. "But right now, the teams who were involved or that inquired about Samuel addressed their needs at receiver in the draft. So this could be a long process. I'm told Deebo still is dug in, still wants to be traded, but knows this could drag out for a while."

While Samuel has made it clear he wants out, the 49ers seem equally dug in on their stance that the All-Pro is not available without a massive haul. The Niners watched on as the Tennessee Titans traded A.J. Brown and the Baltimore Ravens shipped out Marquise Brown on Thursday night, staying steadfast in their desire to repair the relationship.

"I can't ever imagine wanting to move on from Deebo," 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters coming into the draft. "You put yourself through the exercises of, even though we don't have a first-round pick, you have to be thorough in this process and prepare for everything. So, you go through it and do that. He's just too good of a player ... We've got nothing but love for him and nothing but appreciation for what he's brought, but you just don't let guys like that walk. So, I can't envision a scenario where we would [trade him]."

Samuel reportedly grew frustrated with his role as the 2021 season progressed, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. After emerging as one of the NFL's top pass-catchers in the first half of the season, the 49ers used Samuel more regularly as a running back in the second half. He carried the ball 53 times as a runner and made only 28 receptions in the second half of the regular season. The trend continued in the playoffs, with Samuel carrying the ball 27 times and making 10 catches.

While his dynamic usage arguably led to his breakout 2021 numbers, it's also fair to wonder whether that type of wear and tear could lead to injuries. Running backs are also considered far more fungible talents than wide receivers, which could hurt Samuel's market when it comes to negotiating a long-term contract. He's set to make just under $4 million in the 2022 season, which is the last year of his contract.

That said, it doesn't appear any type of negotiations will transpire anytime soon.

Former LSU and Cleveland Browns teammates Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry are still free agents after the close of the NFL draft on Saturday.

As far as potential landing spots go, Beckham's best spot would still appear to be the Los Angeles Rams, where he finished off last season. Landry's top spots look like the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.

Beckham told a Twitter user that he would re-sign with the Rams when they sent a "real offer."

It's clear that Rams general manager Les Snead wants Beckham back.

"He's someone that we definitely want back," Snead told reporters in March.

"A little bit more complex situation based on the injury. We envision it being similar but different circumstances to last year. When Odell is ready to play, we'd appreciate him being part of [the Rams]."

Tyler Dragon of USA Today reported April 8 that the Rams were still a possibility. Beckham is currently recovering from a torn ACL suffered during the Rams' Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals and isn't expected to be ready for Week 1, but he's recovering well and reportedly has multiple teams interested.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that OBJ was open to the possibility of returning to the Browns, where he spent 2019-2021.

However, Cabot said a return was unlikely, and that door appeared to slam when news broke that Beckham was selling his Columbia Station, Ohio, home that he bought right before his first game in Cleveland.

The Falcons selected USC wide receiver Drake London with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, but they did not select any other pass-catchers.

Atlanta still needs work at the position after losing Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage over the past two years, and Landry could be a starter alongside London.

ESPN's Dianna Russini reported in March that Landry would pay a visit to Atlanta.

As for the Saints, New Orleans has a pair of starting wideouts in Michael Thomas and now Chris Olave, who went No. 11 overall in the draft. Adding Landry to play the slot would give New Orleans one of the best wideout trios in the NFL. It's already pretty good with Tre'Quan Smith there right now, but Landry would be an upgrade.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Landry was set to visit the Saints on April 20.

In sum, Beckham and Landry are two of the best free agents on a long list of talented veterans remaining out there post-draft. Some clarity should come to light soon enough as depth charts take better shape.

NFL free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has put his Columbia Station, Ohio, home on the market for $3.3 million, per Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post.

The four-bedroom, seven-bathroom house, which is located a little over 20 miles from Cleveland, has a host of amenities that includes a jaw-dropping walk-in closet.

The house was last sold on Sept. 6, 2019, which marked two days before Beckham made his debut with the Cleveland Browns.

He played two-plus seasons in Cleveland before parting ways with the Browns and signing with the Los Angeles Rams during the middle of last season.

Beckham helped guide the Rams to a Super Bowl win and caught 21 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs. He had two catches for 52 yards and a score before suffering a torn ACL midgame.

The three-time Pro Bowler had successful knee surgery in February, though, and Tyler Dragon of USA Today provided an encouraging update in April:

Beckham has played eight NFL seasons, amassing five 1,000-yard seasons and scoring 57 touchdowns along the way.

The Los Angeles Rams are still looking to re-sign free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason.

"He's someone that we definitely want back," general manager Les Snead said Tuesday, per Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. "A little bit more complex situation based on the injury. We envision it being similar but different circumstances to last year. When Odell is ready to play, we'd appreciate him being part of [the Rams]."

Beckham spent his last eight games of the 2021 season with the Rams after being waived by the Cleveland Browns. He scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl before suffering a torn ACL in the team's eventual win over the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Beckham is expected back in early November. 

The wideout was a valuable addition for the Rams, recording 69 catches for 593 yards and seven touchdowns across 12 games, including the playoffs. 

Beckham also recently praised L.A. quarterback Matthew Stafford:

Los Angeles does already have All-Pro wideout Cooper Kupp and added Allen Robinson in free agency, but ESPN's Adam Schefter noted the team still has money to re-sign Beckham. 

The squad also traded Robert Woods to the Tennessee Titans, leaving room to add more receiver depth to help bring home another Super Bowl title.     

Odell Beckham Jr. was excellent for the Los Angeles Rams after signing with the team during the 2021 season, most notably catching a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl and notching two scores during the postseason.

So it's no surprise that general manager Les Snead and the Rams want him back, as he told reporters Wednesday:

Beckham, 29, was released by the Cleveland Browns in early November after parts of three ineffective seasons with the team, as his partnership with quarterback Baker Mayfield never developed any chemistry.

He was expected to be the No. 3 receiver in Los Angeles after joining the Rams, behind superstar Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, though the latter tore his ACL in practice shortly after Beckham signed.

That left the veteran wideout as the No. 2 option for Matthew Stafford, and he responded, catching 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight games. And he was excellent in the postseason, with 25 catches for 316 yards and two scores in four games, helping the Rams win a title.

Beckham clearly enjoyed his time with the Rams, telling reporters he would take less money in free agency to return to the team next year:

Having the three-time Pro Bowler back in Los Angeles would be a plus for Stafford and the Rams offense. But like Woods, he'll carry injury uncertainty into the 2022 campaign after tearing his ACL during the first half of the Super Bowl.

"The positive is that you may get someone with very fresh legs for the stretch mark, similarly to maybe how we did it this year," Snead told reporters about the possibility of re-signing Beckham, even if the injury costs him a major chunk of the upcoming season.

So it sounds as though all sides are in favor of a reunion. Whether the Rams can afford to bring him back, however, remains to be seen. Players like Von Miller, Darious Williams, Austin Corbett, Brian Allen and Sebastian Joseph-Day are set to hit free agency, while a reworked deal for Aaron Donald and an extension for Stafford both seem likely.