Maryland’s OWINGS MILLS When Odell Beckham Jr. still had dreams of playing football in the fall of last year, he had his first conversation with Baltimore Ravens officials in October. During the NFL owners meetings in Arizona late last month, he had a face-to-face meeting with them. One of their assessors showed up for his private training session. Early in April, Steve Bisciotti, the owner of the Ravens, gave him a call.
After a few minutes of conversation, Bisciotti made it very clear and passionate that he wanted Beckham to play in Baltimore. When the talk was over, Beckham had already made up his mind. “I want to be a Raven,” he texted his agent.
During his first press conference on Thursday afternoon, Beckham, dressed entirely in black with a white Ravens ball cap on top, stated, “I’m in a place in my life where it means a lot more to be wanted.” There are numerous locations that would be thrilled to have me. However, you can put even more of your heart into something where you’re truly wanted.
The Ravens were so desperate to sign Beckham that they offered him a guaranteed $15 million contract plus additional incentives worth a few million more. Many in the league were taken aback by the deal. Despite the fact that Beckham, who turns 31 in November, has occasionally been one of the NFL’s best wide receivers and even more frequently one of its most captivating players, he missed the entire previous season recovering from a second torn left ACL.
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Baltimore maintained that Beckham was signed for purposes other than trying to quell the quarterback controversy surrounding the team. Their long-simmering issues at wideout have a veteran in Beckham who is ready to regain the form that made him one of the most well-liked athletes in America.
GM Eric DeCosta stated, “We’re getting somebody who’s ready to explode again.” “He’s in the right situation with the right quarterback, team, and community. It’s the ideal player at the ideal moment.
Lamar Jackson, whose future with the team is still up in the air, would be the ideal quarterback. After more than a year of negotiations without a long-term deal, the Ravens placed Jackson under the nonexclusive franchise tag in early March, allowing other teams to make offers to Jackson that the Ravens could match. Jackson declared late last month that he had requested a trade on March 2. Jackson is representing himself without the assistance of an agent. The Ravens are still adamant about getting Jackson back, preferably for a long-term contract or $32 million on the franchise tag.
“We have plans for Lamar,” DeCosta stated. “We cherish Lamar. We still feel the same way about Lamar as we did at the end of the season. He is the ideal player to guide this team to our desired destination. The locker room is aware of this. The company is aware of this. The fan base is aware of that.
The Ravens’ decision to make Beckham an outrageous offer is explained by this background. Although he has been temporarily unwell for the majority of his career, he is currently in good health. Before missing the entire 2018 season, he missed at least four games in 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2020.
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Although it was a desperate move, it wasn’t a mistake because desperate teams tend to act in desperate ways. With the most adored player in team history—who also happens to be the player who the Ravens realistically hope to win the Super Bowl—they had come to an increasingly acrimonious standstill. Their fan base had been furious, especially in light of the Ravens’ lack of established wide receivers. It had been years since they’d signed a player who could move jerseys and sell tickets, even with wise offseason additions.
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