A week removed from their blockbuster trade for Von Miller, the Los Angeles Rams surprisingly struck again and managed to sign Odell Beckham Jr.
Beckham was released from the Cleveland Browns and was reportedly in talks of joining several other teams before the Rams seemed to make his short-list at the last minute. It was reported that the wide receiver was torn between the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles, but a talk with several Rams players was enough for Beckham to ultimately pick the Rams.
Head coach Sean McVay talked about Beckham’s signing and how he will be able to help the team out down the stretch, via Stu Jackson TheRams.com:
“There’s not any limitations to his game,” McVay said. “He’s got the ability to play all over the formation, he can win isolations, he can win short, intermediate, down the field. His career resume kind of speaks for itself. And so that’s an intriguing thing to be able to partner up with anybody that has that natural skill set. Just talking a little bit of ball with them, you can tell he’s got a great football IQ, even just watching them over the last couple years, he can see the game makes sense to him. But as far as exactly what it means, what that role looks like, this is something that’s going to be developing as we go, and we’re going to try to get them up to speed as quickly as possible.”
Beckham is unquestionably a boost to an already explosive and efficient offense and gives Matthew Stafford and McVay another weapon to work the field with. While his acquisition might raise some question marks after the Rams parted ways with DeSean Jackson, the truth of the matter is Beckham is a more versatile threat and adds much-needed depth to a wide receiver room that has taken a hit the past week.
Additionally, Beckham has already become a necessity for L.A. after it was announced that Robert Woods tore his ACL in practice on Friday. While it was originally unclear if Beckham would make his debut on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, that is now expected to be the case, via Adam Schefter of ESPN:
Not that it was much of a question, but WR Odell Beckham Jr. will make his Rams’ debut vs. the 49ers on Monday Night Football, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2021
While the circumstances are unfortunate, it will be interesting to see how involved Beckham is in the Rams offense right away. He is certainly talented enough to help fill the void Woods leaves, although it’s hard to replace a player and leader of that caliber.
