Dire circumstances require decided actions, and the Ravens made one Sunday in asserting they agreed to a one-year contract reportedly worth as a lot as $18 million with veteran huge receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
It won’t be acknowledged if the Ravens made the switch to placate or further distance themselves in negotiations with star quarterback Lamar Jackson — though since he and Beckham had been on FaceTime with each other minutes after the announcement, it’s most certainly the earlier — nonetheless the addition of Beckham has to make them greater.
Proper?
Let’s merely identify it one different gamble by the Ravens in signing one different receiver earlier his prime. Beckham apparently acquired the blessing of current offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who coached the huge receiver in 2019 when every had been with the Cleveland Browns.
In contrast to the Browns, the Ravens have been thought-about one in every of many NFL’s model franchises ever since they obtained the first of two Tremendous Bowl titles in 2000. But when this Beckham deal doesn’t work out and the Ravens fall quickly inside the postseason (as soon as extra), there’ll doubtless be numerous doubt regarding the administration of fundamental supervisor Eric DeCosta.
In eight NFL seasons, Beckham has a formidable resume. He was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the 12 months in 2014, has been named an All-Professional twice and to the Professional Bowl thrice, and has 531 career receptions for 7,369 yards and 56 touchdowns.
However he moreover has further baggage than BWI Marshall Airport.
He has been fined by the league fairly a couple of cases for his touchdown celebrations, improper gameday attire and quite a few unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, along with an incident in 2019 when, whereas with the Browns, he threw a punch at Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who responded by choking him.
Extra simply currently, bodycam footage in November confirmed Beckham being requested to go away an American Airways plane in Miami because of he they thought he was unwell. He refused and at last was escorted off the flight to Los Angeles after getting proper right into a verbal argument with one man.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh has struggled to handle high-maintenance avid gamers, and on some days, Beckham may make former Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters seem like Mr. Sunshine.
After which there are the accidents.
There are the usual ones like quads and hamstrings, nonetheless Beckham has had three foremost surgical procedures. He fractured an ankle in 2017, tore his ACL in 2020 after which tore it as soon as extra in Tremendous Bowl 56 whereas with the Los Angeles Rams.
He hasn’t carried out a recreation since that February 2022 victory, nonetheless that didn’t stop the Ravens from making a preemptive strike on Beckham, who was anticipated to go to the New York Jets starting late Sunday night.
If he can preserve healthful, and that’s an infinite if, he should be able to help the Ravens. After signing a one-year handle the Rams on November 11, 2021, Beckham caught 51 passes for 593 yards and seven touchdowns. He has not at all had good tempo, which makes him a really perfect match alongside the other Ravens wideouts who’ve good fingers nonetheless can’t get open.
Possibly the addition of Beckham and former New England Patriot Nelson Agholor help change the dynamic of a receiving corps that was one in every of many worst inside the NFL remaining season and has been for plenty of years now.
You acquired Rashod Bateman on one facet and presumably Agholor or Beckham on the other, counting on which one Monken as quickly as used inside the slot. The Ravens have two gifted tight ends who can work the deep middle of the sphere in Mark Andrews and Isaiah Possible, and as well as one different burner on the pores and skin in Devin Duvernay.
The Ravens working once more situation should be further regular with every J.Okay. Dobbins and Gus Edwards one different 12 months far from foremost knee surgical process. The precise question is who’s going to be throwing the ball? Did the Ravens sign Beckham because of Jackson is just not inside the picture and this group desperately wished some star power, or is Beckham part of a plan to ditch the run-oriented scheme and go to a further commonplace drop-back offense?
Or was Beckham part of the plot to ship Jackson once more to the negotiating desk and get him to not lower than sign the nonexclusive franchise tag that may pay him $32.4 million for the 2023 season?
Regardless, Monken has to position this offense collectively. Even though he spent the ultimate two seasons at Georgia as a result of the Bulldogs’ coordinator, there’s further notion in him rising an attacking scheme than his predecessor, Greg Roman.
Beckham has greater credentials than former receivers Demarcus Robinson and Sammy Watkins combined, nonetheless at age 30 and alongside along with his harm historic previous, he undoubtedly isn’t the Beckham of outdated who as quickly as lit up the NFL.
Jackson? He could be wherever inside the photograph voltaic system nonetheless one issue is for sure: He’s a larger runner than thrower.
As for DeCosta, this deal greater work out. He has already drawn nationwide criticism — undeserved, however — for the delay in signing Jackson, and the Ravens can’t get away from that decades-old draw back of not having an excellent No. 1 receiver.
Even with Beckham, they nonetheless don’t have one, nonetheless they wished to gamble with a former star who nonetheless has one factor to indicate.
That they had been decided.
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