It’s been quite the busy month lately for Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, making a myriad of additions to the team, in order to improve Philly’s Super Bowl chances. With the savvy GM always listening in on opportunities to improve the Eagles roster, could another move be on the table, particularly to improve an already powerful passing offense? Enter Odell Beckham Jr.
Back in his heyday, the former New York Giants superstar wide receiver was an absolute force to be reckoned with. Throughout his five years with the team, Beckham had a total of 390 catches for 5476 yards and 44 touchdown receptions.
Odell Beckham Jr. was also quite the challenge for the Eagles defense, having 61 catches for 732 yards and six touchdowns through nine games against the Birds. Unfortunately for OBJ, his production led to very little success in beating his NFC East rival, with the Giants holding a 1-8 record throughout those nine games Beckham had played.
Well, you know how the old saying goes, right? “If you can’t beat them, join them!”
As the playoff season approaches, is it possible that Roseman pulls one more trick up his sleeve and gives his star quarterback Jalen Hurts another potential weapon at his disposal? It’s definitely possible, but with Beckham though, there’s definitely some ups and downs that must be considered before the Eagles make such a move.
Here’s the downside to signing Beckham
Looking ahead now, it’s been over four years since Odell Beckham Jr. and the Eagles had faced each other in competition, and much has changed ever since their rivalry.
For starters, Beckham is nowhere near the same dominant he once was while he was in New York, compiling just 141 catches for 1891 yards and 12 touchdown receptions over the last four seasons he has played.
To add on, Beckham’s injury history is quite extensive, dating back to the 2017 season, in which he suffered a season-ending fractured left ankle injury in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Three seasons later, Beckham would suffer another season-ending injury, this time an ACL tear in his left knee in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. That same injury would come back to haunt him again, this past February during Super Bowl LVI, suffering another ACL tear in the same knee.
To matters worse, according to ESPN reporter Ed Werder, there’s concern from within the Dallas Cowboys organization, another team that’s interested in signing the former star receiver, that Beckham might not be ready to make an impact until the 2023 season.
With the Eagles roster looking to go all-in on a Super Bowl run this season, signing Beckham might not be the best way to go about business. Add on to his recent off-the-field issues and his history of being described as a locker room diva, Beckham might not be the best fit for Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni’s locker room culture either.
“Really happy with the room that we have,” Sirianni said yesterday on the possibility of bring Beckham to the Eagles. “One of the best wideout rooms, yeah, the best wideout room I’ve ever been a part of in the NFL.”
Which legendary NFL defense would love to resurrect?
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With the likes of A.J. Brown (950 receiving yards, 9 TDs), DeVonta Smith (711 yards, 4 TDs), Quez Watkins (296 yards, 3 TDs), and Dallas Goedert (544 yards, 3 TDs) already thriving within Sirianni’s high-powered passing offense, there really isn’t much of a need for Odell Beckham Jr. for the Eagles roster.
On the other hand, however…
One obvious plus side to adding on Beckham to the Eagles roster would be that you would ensure that Beckham won’t be playing for another NFC East rival. With reported interests from both the Cowboys and the Giants, both of which are in the playoff hunt, this avoids the possibility of facing a talented wide receiver in later games.
In addition, let’s take a look back at Beckham’s playoff production last season with the Rams. In the four playoff games he played, he totaled 21 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns, getting at least 50 receiving yards in each game he played. This also includes a monstrous performance against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game (9 catches for 113 yards) and a very promising performance during the Super Bowl (2 catches for 52 yards and a touchdown), before leaving the game early with his ACL tear injury.
In other words, when the lights shine bright on Odell Beckham Jr., he doesn’t shy away from the spotlight. Instead, he embraces it and puts together the numbers that you would expect from a number one wide receiver. That playoff upside alone gives the Eagles a lot to think about whether they feel Beckham is the right fit for this already strong wide receiver room.
In conclusion
Overall, the upside that Beckham could possibly bring to a Super Bowl contender such as the Eagles is most certainly intriguing. With that being said, there are far too many questions left unanswered as to whether he’s even healthy enough to be able to play in playoffs to begin with. Not to mention, the Eagles wide receiver room already the likes of Brown and Smith as their star receivers, with Watkins and Zach Pascal coming in as complementary receivers. Add on Goedert at tight end, and you have yourself an already crowded room of reliable receiving targets.
At the end of the day, barring a significant injury to one of our key receivers, let Beckham be someone else’s issue to deal with, even if it means he joins either the Cowboys or the Giants.
Let us know if you want to see Odell Beckham Jr. on the Eagles roster in the comments below!
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