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The Odell Beckham Jr. saga is reportedly near an end.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “the middle of the week is the plan” for the free-agent wide receiver when it comes to a timeline for a decision. Rapoport noted Beckham already visited the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants ahead of a meeting with the Dallas Cowboys, who are considered the “favorites.”
Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
From @NFLGameDay: The Odell Beckham Jr sweepstakes are upon us, as he’s visited the #Giants and #Bills already, with the #Cowboys on tap. He plans to leave Dallas, then discuss his future with his family and make a decision by the middle of this week. pic.twitter.com/l1pRUURmav
Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer also provided insight into the meetings, reporting that Beckham is “not really willing to work out for” teams:
FOX Sports: NFL @NFLonFOX
The OBJ clock is ticking ⏰@JayGlazer has the latest on OBJ’s team visits ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/nOP8Py7ZAO
The biggest question mark surrounding Beckham other than which team he will join is his health.
The 30-year-old suffered a torn ACL during the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals, and Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports reported one NFC executive said there remains “considerable doubt” about how healthy he is and whether he can effectively play this season.
“And that’s a problem because Beckham has informed teams he’s seeking a multiyear contract that he hopes will end up being worth $20 million per year,” Vacchiano wrote.
There was a time when signing Beckham would have been a season-altering move for any team.
He surpassed 1,300 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons and 1,000 receiving yards in five of his first six years in the league. The three-time Pro Bowler was known for his spectacular catches and ability to high-point passes in traffic as one of the best wide receivers in the league.
To Beckham’s credit, he was solid last season for the Rams and tallied 27 catches for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular-season games. He also posted 113 receiving yards in the NFC Championship Game win over the San Francisco 49ers and scored in the Super Bowl win over the Bengals before exiting with the injury.
Buffalo and Dallas are both Super Bowl contenders with plenty of talent, so Beckham would not be asked to play the role of a No. 1 wide receiver.
That worked for the Rams, as he took advantage of the spacing created by playing alongside Cooper Kupp while catching passes from Matthew Stafford. Perhaps he can do the same with Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen in Buffalo or CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott in Dallas.
There is also history with the Giants since he played his first five seasons in New York. However, the team is trending in the wrong direction with three losses in their last four games after a blistering 6-1 start.
Beckham has plenty to consider, but it seems like he won’t be considering for much longer.
