NFL Execs believe Odell Beckham Jr. will end up back with Rams

The Los Angeles Rams continue to wait and see if wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will re-join the team after helping them to a Super Bowl title last season. Since tearing his ACL in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals, Beckham has remained a free agent and hasn’t signed or committed to a specific team.

However, over the last few weeks he has taken some free agent visits. Beckham plans to take free agent visits with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, and New York Giants. In an ESPN article ranking the wide receiver’s best fits, an AFC executive said, “Wherever he goes will most likely be with a top quarterback. He has that luxury, and why waste time with anything else?”

Despite other teams potentially in the mix, NFL executives still believe the Rams are the team that makes the most sense. An NFC personnel director said, “It makes the most sense — if you’re coming off an injury, why start over with a new offense?”

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler added,

Most execs I’ve spoken to believe the Rams are the favorite and make the most sense. The team has maintained a good relationship with Beckham and has intimate knowledge of his injury file. His star power plays in Los Angeles, and he developed a quick on-field rapport with Stafford. The Rams are in decent shape cap-wise, with $4.8 million in space as of Week 5, according to ESPN’s Roster Management System

If the Rams do end up with Beckham, he’ll provide a much-needed boost to the offense. Matthew Stafford has struggled to build chemistry with wide receiver Allen Robinson. Cooper Kupp leads Rams receivers with a 33.5 percent target share. Ben Skowronek has essentially been the team’s second wide receiver as he has 24 targets.

ESPN’s Matt Bowen said,

“We know the system fit works here with Sean McVay, too. The Rams coach will create schemed concepts to target the interior of the field with Beckham, adding isolation matchups outside of the numbers...Adding Beckham would boost this pass game, giving quarterback Matthew Stafford a proven and productive target opposite Cooper Kupp.”

Also mentioned as potential fits were the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Buccaneers, Saints, and Buffalo Bills. The Packers could use a number one wide receiver after losing Adams while Beckham could team up with Von Miller once again and compete for a Super Bowl in Buffalo.

Listed as some wild card teams in the Beckham sweepstakes were the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, and Tennessee Titans. Out of these teams, the 49ers would make the most sense, although highly unlikely.

Beckham should be able to return at some point in the next six weeks. It won’t be long until we finally get a decision. However, it seems even at 2-3, the Rams are still a favorite to land the star wide receiver.