Odell Beckham Jr. mentioned he didn’t get any assurances that Lamar Jackson would be the Ravens’ quarterback this season, nevertheless it’s evident that it was a significant component behind the huge receiver’s choice to signal with Baltimore.
“The objective was to return right here and have that risk to play with him,” Beckham mentioned Thursday at his introductory information convention on the Ravens’ apply facility. “I’m excited for that chance.
“I didn’t get any assurances for something. … To me, I used to be simply enthusiastic about the opportunity of that. My ideas can be that he can be right here.”
That's the hope of Ravens common supervisor Eric DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh as properly.
DeCosta mentioned that whereas he hasn’t spoken with Jackson since signing Beckham to a one-year deal reportedly value $15 million assured earlier this week, there was communication with the quarterback since Jackson revealed in a tweet in the course of the NFL house owners conferences three weeks in the past that he requested to be traded on March 2. DeCosta declined to get into specifics, nonetheless, saying, “quite a lot of occasions, the perfect issues in life take a very long time.”
Whereas Jackson has but to signal the $32.4 million nonexclusive franchise tag that Baltimore issued him 5 days after that commerce request, DeCosta added that he stays optimistic that the 2019 NFL Most Useful Participant shall be underneath heart for the Ravens this season. Jackson, who represents himself, is free to barter with different groups, however Baltimore can match any supply he indicators.
“Lamar is in our plans,” DeCosta mentioned. “Our emotions about Lamar haven't modified one bit for the reason that finish of the season. We’re hopeful nonetheless that we’ll get a long-term deal achieved. He’s the best participant for this group to guide us the place we wish to be.”
For Beckham, Baltimore was additionally the place he needed to be for causes that prolonged past Jackson.
Notable amongst them is the contract he signed, the most important given to a free agent huge receiver this offseason when it comes to common annual wage. Allen Lazard and Jakobi Meyers will every earn $11 million per season over the course of their offers with the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively.
However there have been different components for Beckham, who was joined in Owings Mills by a contingent of members of the family and was flown to Baltimore on proprietor Steve Bisciotti’s jet.
“I care about being nice,” Beckham mentioned. “To me, it’s at all times been about soccer. On the finish of the day, I didn’t care what was happening so long as I used to be catching touchdowns.
“This can be a group that has nice expertise throughout the board. It means much more to be needed than [for] somebody to like to have you ever. [Bisciotti] made me really feel needed. At this level in my life, that’s every part I would like, to be needed.”
It was a deal that had been within the works for months, in line with DeCosta, who mentioned the Ravens had conversations with the three-time Professional Bowl choice relationship to final October.
These talks continued by way of the offseason, at Beckham’s personal exercise in Arizona in early March after which on the NFL house owners conferences in Phoenix, the place Beckham confirmed as much as meet with a number of groups, together with the Jets and Ravens.
Nonetheless, the transfer got here as one thing of a shock when it was introduced on Easter Sunday. The price-conscious Ravens had little wage cap room, and the Jets, one in every of a number of groups within the huge receiver, had been scheduled to satisfy with Beckham later that evening.
“We went into it realizing we had been the underdog,” DeCosta mentioned. “Generally the underdog wins.”
Beckham’s addition, together with the maybe elevated risk of pairing him with Jackson at quarterback, helps make the Ravens something however.
They have already got one of many league’s finest defenses and offensive strains together with a robust backfield, gifted tight ends and a younger however promising receiving corps. Now they’re including a receiver in Beckham who 5 occasions in his eight seasons has topped the 1,000-yard mark, one thing no different receiver on the roster has completed even as soon as.
The final of these seasons got here in 2019 with the Cleveland Browns, the place Beckham had 74 catches for 1,035 yards and 4 touchdowns. His offensive coordinator that yr was additionally Todd Monken, whom the Ravens employed for a similar position earlier this yr after his profitable stint with two-time defending nationwide champion Georgia.
“We had an amazing relationship in Cleveland,” Jackson mentioned of Monken, including that he’s excited to get to work with him once more.
However Beckham additionally arrives with questions, most notably about his well being after he suffered the second torn ACL of his profession in the course of the Los Angeles Rams’ Tremendous Bowl 56 victory in February 2022. The 30-year-old receiver hasn’t performed since that sport 14 months in the past, lacking all of final season whereas he recovered.
“I really feel nice proper now; I’m nonetheless within the means of preparing for September,” mentioned Beckham, including that his first few months after surgical procedure included some “darkish days” that he needed to climb out of. “It’s about preparing for that and being the perfect form I might be in.”
DeCosta additionally mentioned the Ravens despatched passing sport specialist Keith Williams to Beckham’s exercise in March.
“We noticed every part we would have liked to see, realizing that he’s simply going to enhance,” DeCosta mentioned. “What we noticed is extraordinarily encouraging.
“We’re getting somebody who’s able to explode once more.”
Harbaugh was equally optimistic about Beckham’s addition.
“This transfer is a giant transfer for us, nevertheless it was a transfer that we had the chance to make and he needs to be right here,” Harbaugh mentioned. “At this time is a superb day for the Ravens.”
Now the one query is when, or if, Jackson will be a part of Beckham.
“Lamar if you happen to watching,” Beckham mentioned, smiling and waving to the cameras, “like to get to work with you.”
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