The Ravens vowed to fix their wide receiver room this offseason. First they reported that Rashod Bateman was recovering quite nicely and is on schedule to be a full participant during training camp. Then they added Nelson Agholor to the mix. And now the trifecta, Odell Beckham, Jr.
Beckham, combined with a healthy Bateman and Agholor certainly changes the look of wide receiver coach Greg Lewis’ pass catching corps. If Beckham returns to form and Bateman can play a full season, mix in a healthy J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, more seasoned second-year players like Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, and of course Mark Andrews, that’s a formidable group for new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
But at what cost?
Lamar Jackson’s contract status and the stranglehold his $32.4M franchise tag price has on the team’s salary cap, has forced the Ravens to employ voidable option years in order to re-sign some players and bring on others, like Beckham. They’ve given in to a strategy that they’ve tried to avoid – kicking the salary cap can down the road. One day, they’ll have to pay the price.
Assuming 4 added void yrs to reach the max proration of 5 yrs, OBJ will have a 2023 Cap # of $3.932M. HOWEVER, if so, and if he is not extended before the 2024 season, he will count as $11.068M in dead money on the 2024 Cap. Oh boy. https://t.co/ooIS2T5zY7
— Brian McFarland (@RavensSalaryCap) April 10, 2023
Beckham has played in just 21 of 33 regular season games (64%) during the 2020 and 2021 campaigns. And of course he missed the entire 2022 season. That alone makes it a long shot that Beckham can participate in a full slate of games this coming season. Making matters seem even more desperate, the Ravens have guaranteed Beckham $15M, with another $3M in incentives. From what I’ve been told, that’s about $8M more than other teams were willing to guarantee the 2021 Super Bowl Champion pass catcher.
Maybe that’s why he agreed to terms with the Ravens.
This isn’t typical behavior for the Ravens. It feels like a desperate move. It feels like a move that the Cleveland Browns might make. And when you factor in Lamar’s contract status, it makes the move all the more curious.
Does signing Beckham make it more enticing for Lamar to sign the relatively dusty deal that sits on the conference room table? Probably not. If anything, as curious as his behavior has been over the past 18 months or so, you have to admit that Lamar has shown resolve. Signing Beckham doesn’t weaken that resolve. And it could strengthen it.
Beckham agreed to the deal with the Ravens not knowing who the quarterback is going to be in 2023. As it stands today, the only QB on the roster is Anthony Brown. That’s a risky move for a receiver looking to re-establish himself in the league. And that in part probably explains the hefty guaranteed amount. If the Jets were truly an option for Beckham and Aaron Rodgers is a certain roster addition for Gang Green, incentives would be more achievable in the Big Apple for Beckham and therefore, it would lighten the load on the guaranteed number and the salary cap in 2023.
But the Ravens don’t have that luxury.
One might even make the argument that the Beckham signing gives Lamar an extra bargaining chip. How silly might the Ravens look, a cap-strapped team, by giving Beckham $15M guaranteed while Brown is his battery mate?
On the plus side, the move potentially threatens opposing defenses, assuming Lamar’s return. It also gives the Ravens some flexibility on draft day. They don’t have to feel the pressure of reaching for need. They can go with their tried-and-true, best player available.
It was reported, even shared by the player himself, that the Ravens were close to signing veteran corner Darius Slay before he agreed to return to Philadelphia. That may indicate that bringing back Marcus Peters isn’t a high priority. It also indicates that the Ravens want to add to the position – one that is said to be bountiful in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Ravens have long been proponents of entering the draft without an obvious need so that they can stick to their board. But if I was a betting man, a CB will be pick No. 1.
At the end of the day, only time will tell if the Ravens’ signing of Beckham will be a winning strategy. We can only hope. But for now, it looks like an act of desperation from a team that traditionally has been anything but desperate.
15 Responses
Let’s see….signed Lamar’s cousin, and another apparent injury prone has been with locker room issues as enticements! What’s next……hiring his mother?! All this for a guy who, on his own terms, has failed to live up to his own hype and missed significant playing time the last two seasons with injuries! Desperation on steroids…..
Yeah, this definitely smacks of desperation. I think this organization has gone off the rails this off-season. And this supposedly ups the chances of LJ blessing us with his presence next year. Whoop-de-do
I got a feeling they aren’t expecting Lamar to sign his tag. I think they plan on drafting a QB at some point. If you take a guy like Hendon Hooker and plug him into a Monken offense I think that could be dangerous there. We could always wait and draft somebody else too. Keep in mind, they don’t seem too interested in keeping their backup QB either. They are not talking about Lamar anymore either. But if he doesn’t sign his tag before the draft I think they move on from him. Whether that means they have a deal in place or not is anyone’s guess.
Glad some in Raven Flock are happy but I find signing a WR to that much money for 1 year with a history of injuries an either stupid move or a desperate play to keep Lamar which I also thinks is a stupid move. It is done so we will see how this plays out.
Count me in the minority that loves it. Josina Anderson reports Bisciotti lead the recruiting. Doesnt take a genius to believe he told Odell no worries he’s restricted. He not going anywhere unless i let him. Secondly if OBJ leaves and there’s dead cap we’ve either signed Lamar long term and restructured him next offseason or we tagged and traded for picks next Feb. Both easily covers the 11 mil dead money. If healthy these best weapons and OC Lamar has had
If you asked me what the odds of OBJ coming here last week I would have said less then 30%. Lamar-o-meter is at 90% today. Still lots of ifs. 30 yr old OBJ is coming off injuries Mason, Smith Sr, and Bouldin came healthy. Too many ifs. Lots more drama to go before September.
say what you will about flacco…he was a pure passer…..not necessarily so with lamar……
if lamar stays,come hell or high water,i suspect we`ll see many more footballs in the air tcome september(whether that `s a good thing or not remains to be seen)
You get the feeling that SB said ok tough guy here’s your all pro WR,we got rid of Roman, the draft is still ahead of us, we got Monkin for you, you want 50 mill a year you got the tools now prove it!
I think the signing means at worst-Lamar told OBJ he’s probably staying. Make no mistake, OBJ-a new dad-came for the moolah. Did we overpay? Yes. But so did Buffalo for Von Miller. If 8 is under center, this is a championship contending roster. At some point-you have to take a swing. That Swing should’ve been last offseason with AJ Brown or Amari Cooper. But here we are. Health is always a risk. But if this full compliment of skill players is healthy and on the field in January-I’m comfortable betting on this team to go to down to the wire against anyone. It’s boom or bust time now. If Dobbins has a big year, we won’t be able to pay him. Then the cap hits for Stanley and Humphrey will start to factor in. It’s go time now.
This was as much, or more, an investment in perception as it was in expected performance.
If it does anything to get LJ to sign the current offer on the table, it is money very well spent.
If not, and he only signs the tag, then this is a one year, all-in “prove it” scenario for Lamar, Harbs, and maybe even EDC (though I think he’s fairly safe).
i think this cements lamar playing here(even on the tag)…i wouldn`t be shocked if the ravens and lamar came to an understanding that he will play on the tag IF they sign an obj…..
two prima donnas in the locker room…… this could get very strange…things might just get away from harbs if everything doesn`t come up smelling like a rose(lamar…obj`s health)..
I say trade Lamar to get a top 4 pick in this years draft. I’m done with him trying to put an “I “ in team. He is not a top 5 quarterback and shouldn’t be paid like he’s number 1.
there is a really good QB to grab in the 2024 Draft… keeping Lamar for this year at 32.6M and let him ride it out gives him a year to prove himself without anymore excuses…
i think they should wait to grab Caleb Williams -USC, Drake Maye-UNC, Michael Pratt-Tulane, or Jordan Travis-Florida State… See which one of them comes out on top.. looks like a better draft class than this years tho….