Odell Beckham Jr. appeared to say goodbye to the Baltimore Ravens in a Sunday Instagram post.
“Swea on everything I appreciate the Flock more than yall could EVER imagine. Did everything I could wit the opportunities I had. Wish I got to do it big for yall,” Beckham wrote.
Kyle Phoenix @KylePBarber
Ravens WR Odell Beckham Jr. posts what appears to be a goodbye on his Instagram.
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Beckham, 31, connected with MVP Lamar Jackson for 35 receptions and three receiving touchdowns in 14 games last season.
He is a free agent after playing on a one-year, $15 million deal with the Ravens in 2023.
Due to four void years contained in the contract, Beckham’s cap hit remained below $4 million in 2023, per Over the Cap.
Beckham agreed to restructure this deal in January in a way that would make it advantageous for the team to release him with a post-June 1 designation, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
Dan Graziano @DanGrazianoESPN
If Beckham is on the Ravens’ roster March 14 (tomorrow), the $50 million 2025 salary would become fully guaranteed. Obviously, that’s not happening. But the post-June 1 cut means Ravens carry $2.767M dead money for Beckham this year and $8.301M dead in 2025.
From the structure of this contract, it seems likely Beckham expected his release since January.
His Sunday post seems to indicate he also doesn’t expect to negotiate a new deal with the Ravens.
Beckham’s exit could influence what the Ravens do in free agency or with their first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
Zay Flowers is expected to remain Jackson’s top target after a 77-catch rookie season, with veteran tight end Mark Andrews behind him.
To fill out the depth chart, the Ravens could distribute more targets to Nelson Agholor and Rashod Bateman, who are both slated to return next season. They could alternatively use their No. 30 selection to draft a receiver or seek one out in free agency.
Although Beckham has not exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in a season since his 2019 campaign with the Cleveland Browns, he could be pursued by teams looking to bolster thin or young receiving corps.
One of those teams is the New York Jets, which ESPN’s Rich Cimini named as a team to “keep an eye on” during Beckham’s free agency. Veteran receiver Allen Lazard was benched after making repeated drops last season, and the team needs to add depth behind Garrett Wilson.
The New England Patriots are another team in need of veteran receiving help. Even after signing KJ Osborn to a one-year deal, per ESPN, the team will need experienced targets for the quarterback they are expected to draft with the No. 3 pick of the 2024 draft.
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