The hints have been there.
Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey final month tweeted that Odell Beckham Jr. “appears like a Raven to me.” John Harbaugh stated on the NFL house owners conferences in Phoenix two weeks in the past — three days after signing free agent receiver Nelson Agholor — that Baltimore wasn’t completed when it got here to including to that group. Then, extremely, Beckham confirmed up the following day on the conferences to satisfy with a number of groups, together with the Ravens, about his providers.
Nonetheless, within the NFL offseason smoke usually doesn’t imply fireplace, and the chances didn’t appear to be in Baltimore’s favor. The Ravens have little wage cap house and little historical past of splashy free agent receiver signings. Plus, Beckham was reportedly scheduled to satisfy with the New York Jets starting Sunday night time about the opportunity of teaming up with Aaron Rodgers.
There additionally was the uncertainty surrounding the Ravens’ disgruntled quarterback Lamar Jackson, who final month instructed the group that he needs to be traded, with Baltimore responding 5 days later by inserting the nonexclusive franchise tag on him. Quick ahead 38 days from that demand, although, and there was Jackson joyously FaceTiming with Beckham, whose one-year deal, reportedly value $15 million with $3 million extra in incentives, with Baltimore notably makes him the best paid free agent receiver this offseason, a reality that may’t be discounted on this course of. Beckham reportedly celebrated the brand new deal at Prime 112 in Miami Seaside, the place he was joined on the steakhouse by Jackson, in response to TMZ Sports activities.
The influence of Beckham in Baltimore is myriad.
Fast improve to WR group
The Ravens haven’t had a wideout of Beckham’s pedigree since three-time All-Professional Steve Smith, who spent the ultimate three years of his profession in Baltimore after coming over from the Carolina Panthers as a free agent in 2014. However as notable a signing as Beckham, a three-time Professional Bowl choice, is, there are main questions surrounding what sort of influence he can have as a participant who will flip 31 on Nov. 5 and missed all of final season after struggling a second torn ACL to his left knee in Tremendous Bowl 56 with the Los Angeles Rams in February 2022.
When wholesome, Beckham has been one of many higher receivers within the NFL. 5 occasions in his eight-season profession he has topped the 1,000-yard mark, one thing no different receiver on the Ravens’ roster has completed even as soon as. However the final of these 1,000-yard seasons got here in 2019 — when Baltimore’s new offensive coordinator Todd Monken held the identical position with the Cleveland Browns. That yr, Beckham had 74 catches on 130 targets for 1,035 yards and 4 touchdowns. In Beckham’s final season, in 2021 with the Cleveland Browns after which the Rams, his 75.0 Professional Soccer Focus grade would rank as the perfect by a Baltimore receiver (with greater than 20 targets) since Smith’s 75.4 in 2016.
By comparability, Devin Duvernay in his third season with Baltimore final yr, acquired the best grade from PFF amongst Ravens’ receivers with a grade of 66.2 after placing up 407 yards on 37 catches with three touchdowns. Second-year receiver Rashod Bateman, who had 15 catches for 285 yards and two scores by means of the primary six video games earlier than present process season-ending foot surgical procedure, was subsequent among the many group with a 61.6 grade.
One different maybe useful factor that Beckham, who had seven touchdowns over his closing 11 video games with the Rams, brings to the large receiver room: expertise. Excluding Beckham and fellow 30-year-old free agent signee Nelson Agholor, the common age of the Ravens’ others receivers is a shade over 26 years previous.
How the Ravens have been in a position to afford Beckham
Going into Sunday, the Ravens had simply over $6 million in wage cap house. Common supervisor Eric DeCosta earlier this offseason talked about the necessity to get inventive, and that’s what they did when it got here to giving the massive cash that Beckham was looking for. Of his $15 million deal, $13.835 million got here through signing bonus, with simply $1.165 million in base wage, in response to a number of reviews. Beckham might reportedly additionally make as much as $3 million extra in incentives. However for 2023, simply $3.932 million of Beckham’s deal will rely towards this yr’s cap, in response to Over The Cap, with the 4 years after that counting as void years.
It’s a tactic that many groups have used however is uncommon for the Ravens, although they did use them in restructuring the contracts of Michael Pierce, Kevin Zeitler and Gus Edwards this offseason. In Beckham’s case, it is also expensive. If Beckham’s one-year deal isn’t prolonged earlier than subsequent season, Baltimore will take an $11.1 million useless cash hit in 2024.
As for a way Beckham’s deal compares to others, solely 21 different wideouts have contracts with a median annual worth of $15 million. Beckham checks in alongside the Rams’ Allen Robinson and the Denver Broncos’ Courtland Sutton.
Draft influence
Harbaugh stated two weeks in the past that the workforce will draft a large receiver. That also may be the case, however the addition of Beckham might imply the Ravens will flip their consideration to their different evident want and spend their first-round decide (No. 22 general) on a cornerback — assuming they don’t commerce down to amass extra picks as a result of they solely have 5 in all and no second-round decide.
Nonetheless, it’s potential Baltimore might choose a receiver. TCU’s Quentin Johnston is a giant physique receiver with a large catch radius who can run all kinds of routes, ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid instructed The Baltimore Solar. Southern California’s Jordan Addison is a superb route-runner and possession risk and Boston School’s Zay Flowers an explosive deep risk, ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller instructed The Baltimore Solar. Any of them would determine to suit nicely alongside Beckham and throughout the Ravens’ wants at a place that has ranked final within the NFL in receiving yards in three of the final 4 years.
If the Ravens as a substitute flip to cornerback within the first spherical, Maryland’s Deonte Banks, Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. and Georgia’s Kelee Ringo are among the many prospects.
Lamar Jackson’s contract scenario
How shortly issues can change. One minute earlier than Harbaugh met with the media throughout the NFL house owners conferences, Jackson tweeted out his commerce request. Two weeks later, associates Jackson and Beckham have been partying in South Seaside.
Whereas Jackson has nonetheless but to signal his $32.4 million nonexclusive franchise tag with the Ravens, no workforce has additionally emerged with a proposal for the 2019 NFL Most Invaluable Participant. It appears even much less probably now with the probability that Beckham wasn’t becoming a member of the Ravens until there was some assure that he knew who his quarterback can be and that quarterback can be Jackson.
There are nonetheless questions — about Jackson’s long-term future in Baltimore and Beckham’s talents off a second torn ACL — however issues appear lots brighter in Baltimore than they did simply 14 days in the past.
The Ravens, who went 10-7 and misplaced within the first spherical of the playoffs final season, and whose offense ranked in the midst of the pack in 2022 with 338 yards and 20.6 factors per recreation, now not less than have the potential to be rather more explosive. That’s Harbaugh’s and Monken’s aim, and it’s made simpler with Jackson at quarterback, J.Ok. Dobbins and Gus Edwards anchoring a stable backfield, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Doubtless at tight finish and Beckham and Bateman main a receiving unit that features promising younger gamers Duvernay and James Proche II, together with one of many league’s finest offensive strains. Baltimore additionally figures to have a extra up-tempo and artistic scheme beneath Monken.
At the least one future Ravens opponent already had a thought on the potential dynamic duo of Beckham and Jackson, with Browns defensive finish Obo Okoronkwo, a teammate of Beckham’s on the Rams, tweeting, “I hope the Ravens fumble Lamar trigger him and Odell collectively is OD.”
Questions stay however issues probably got here clearer on Sunday night time. Beckham tweeted shortly after the information of his signing broke: “We gon seee…”
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