Odell Beckham Jr. could have officially ended his time with the Baltimore Ravens after just one season.
The experienced wide receiver posted a message on his Instagram account (per The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov) on Sunday, March 17, that seems like a farewell to the Ravens and their fans. Specifically the line, “Seriously, I appreciate the Flock more than you all could ever imagine. Did everything I could with the opportunities I had.”
There was a hint of remorse in Beckham’s final statements. They included the line, “Wish I got to do it big for you all,” followed by a ring emoji.
This was an obvious mention of OBJ and the Ravens falling short in their quest for the Super Bowl. The 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game looks like it will be Beckham’s last appearance in a Ravens uniform.
His difficulties in making an impact against the Chiefs’ defense summed up a frustrating season for the wide receiver. His lack of production explains why there have been rumors that the Ravens are prepared to move on from the 31-year-old.
Odell Beckham Jr. Failed to Make the Impression Ravens Envisioned
When the Ravens gave Beckham a lucrative, one-year deal valued at $15 million last offseason, they believed they were acquiring a proven player who could still dominate games. The reality was much different, with OBJ struggling to establish a consistent connection with franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The two only managed to produce a mere 35 receptions. Meanwhile, Beckham found himself overshadowed by rookie Zay Flowers, who became Jackson’s primary target with 77 catches.
Beckham’s case was hardly helped by the Ravens maintaining a run-heavy offense, even after Todd Monken replaced Greg Roman as coordinator. Monken’s play-calling still resulted in a league-leading 541 rushing attempts and 2,661 yards on the ground.
Targets became scarce for Beckham toward the end of the season. He finished the regular season with four catches from seven targets, according to Pro Football Reference. Beckham had to settle for the same number of targets in the postseason, as he caught just four passes in two playoff games.
There weren’t many opportunities for Beckham to establish himself in the passing game. Perhaps his admission about doing everything he could with “the opportunities I had” refers to the lack of targets.
Regardless, Beckham needs to persuade teams still seeking receiver help in free agency that he still has a lot to offer. It won’t be easy for a player who seems to have lost some of his explosive athleticism after tearing his left ACL twice.
Ravens Still Lack Star Power at WR
The Ravens are justified in parting ways with Beckham. They took a gamble on a one-year contract, but things didn’t pan out. However, this doesn’t mean general manager Eric DeCosta should stop searching for some star power at receiver.
Options are limited after the initial wave of free agency, but NFL record-holder Michael Thomas seems like a potential replacement for OBJ. The same goes for a big-bodied target like 6-foot-4, 218-pounder Mike Williams.
DeCosta might need to get creative with limited salary-cap space Spotrac.com The budget for projects is $14,351,781. It should be sufficient for the Ravens to take a risk on another well-known experienced player and expect the receiver to make important contributions that Beckham had difficulty making.
