Where would the Los Angeles Rams be if they hadn’t hired Odell Beckham Jr. just under two months ago?
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
The short answer is that they would surely not be preparing to play the Super Bowl in their own stadium on Sunday night.
Since arriving in Los Angeles, Beckham Jr. has revived a stagnating career. In 11 games (season and playoffs), he totaled 46 catches for 541 yards and 6 touchdowns. The wide winger had his best game with his new team in the National Conference Finals about ten days ago. Beckham Jr. then caught 9 passes for 113 yards in the team’s 20-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
After this performance, Sean McVay also praised his receiver.
“He’s a special player. He is so smart, talented and gifted. He brought charisma, presence and confidence to our team. I love Odell,” the Rams head coach said.
Beckham Jr. has obviously found enjoyment in playing football again after unfortunate ends with the New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns. There hasn’t been a shred of controversy since the Louisiana State University (LSU) alum joined the Rams.
But it’s not just for his production and all that he brings that the Rams are lucky to have hired Beckham Jr. Twenty-four hours after acquiring the latter, receiver Robert Woods saw his season come to an abrupt end when he tore an anterior cruciate ligament during practice. For a team that had bet everything to win the Super Bowl this year, the decision to hire Beckham Jr. was perhaps the most important.
Beckham Jr. essentially took Woods’ place and the Rams’ Super Bowl dreams remained intact, which they wouldn’t have if they hadn’t reached a deal with the former Giants first-round pick.
That being said, Beckham Jr. and Woods are poles apart. Beckham Jr. is immensely talented, but his reputation has always been slightly overrated. His spectacular one-handed catch propelled him to the ranks of NFL superstars, but his mood swings sometimes made him more detrimental to his teams than anything else.
Conversely, Woods is probably the most underrated receiver in the league. He does his job with very little talk about him and is recognized for the quality of his passing routes. If not spectacular, his statistics show that he is a consistent and productive receiver: 570 catches for 7,077 yards and 35 touchdowns in 125 games. It’s not for nothing that the Rams agreed to give him a four-year contract worth 65 million.
Beckham ended up on waivers after the Browns were unable to trade him. No team claimed him, so he became a free agent. A few other teams have shown interest in him, including the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints. Beckham Jr. eventually opted for the Rams.
“I considered going to Green Bay, Kansas City or even going home [La Nouvelle-Orléans]. But among other things because of the presence of Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller and Sean McVay, whom I knew a little, I felt that it was the right place in my heart. I was trying to make things work in other places, whereas with the Rams it was like they were calling me,” Beckham Jr. said Monday.
This time Kupp will be there
As will be the case for Woods this year, Cooper Kupp was unable to play in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots three years ago due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. His absence had also considerably harmed the Rams, who had been limited to a poor placement in their 13-3 loss.
“Not being able to make the Super Bowl in 2019 gave me a good perspective. It was obviously a very difficult situation, but it gave me the opportunity to realize the importance of savoring every moment. I took full advantage of everything that happened during the season and it’s the course that is ultimately the most important,” Kupp said Tuesday.
The chemistry between Kupp and quarterback Matthew Stafford, who joined the Rams a year ago, was instantaneous. The receiver this season became the fourth player since 1970 to sign the Triple Crown, leading the league in catches (145), passing yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16). Steve Smith was the last to achieve this feat, in 2005. Jerry Rice and Sterling Sharpe had accomplished the same thing in 1990 and 1992.
PHOTO KIRBY LEE, USA TODAY SPORTS
Cooper Kupp has become the fourth player since 1970 to sign the Triple Crown.
Kupp was on the radar of multiple teams heading into the 2017 draft, including the Baltimore Ravens. Journalist Jeff Zrebec (The Athletic) recently reported that the latter hoped to be able to draft Kupp in the third round, but that the Rams had pulled the rug out from under them a few selections earlier.
This is also why the NFL draft arouses so much passion and interest among football fans. Because you can find talent like Kupp in the third round. Players who can quickly contribute to the success of their team. A masterstroke for McVay and general manager Les Snead to choose Kupp in the third round just under five years ago.
Back with the Rams?
Prior to the start of this year’s tournament, Kupp and Beckham Jr. had played three and one playoff games respectively since the start of their careers. Both players have shone in the Rams’ three recent wins, but Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium may be their last game together for the Rams.
Beckham Jr.’s contract expires in March and while he has said he hopes to stay with the Rams, presumably money will be a determining factor in his next negotiations. Now 29, the next contract could well be the most lucrative of his career.
Kupp and Woods are already making significant salaries at the wide end position, and the Rams have other players who are among the highest paid in the NFL (Stafford, Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey). The only way to keep Beckham Jr. in Los Angeles might be to release Woods.
But even if he were to change sides again over the next few months, Beckham Jr. will have used his time with the Rams to improve a reputation that had deteriorated over the years. And he might get a Super Bowl ring on the way.
In closing, quick question: do you think the Packers don’t regret ignoring Beckham Jr. when the opportunity arose to hire him in November? Reportedly, Green Bay was his first choice because he hoped to play with Aaron Rodgers. Recall that the Packers wide receiver not named Davante Adams totaled one catch for six yards in their loss to the 49ers a few weeks ago…
As we saw with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and the Rams this year, sometimes it pays to be proactive and reckless when it comes to winning a championship.