The Buccaneers and Odell Beckham Jr. seems impossible on its face, but so have most of the moves made by this franchise in the last year.
Just to get ahead of this, the Buccaneers are almost assuredly not signing Odell Beckham Jr. when he gets released by the Browns as soon as today. The Bucs don’t have the money or priority on the waiver wire, and that doesn’t even consider the depth Tampa already possesses in the wide receiver room.
The Bucs have more significant needs than adding another star wide receiver to an already star-studded group, but that hasn’t stopped some fans and reporters from running wild with the news.
The newest report that has created a firestorm in Tampa comes from a simple quote from ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington. Darlington talks about the respect between Tom Brady and OBJ and their desire in the past to play with one another, and as we have all seen, that is more than enough to stir up the hornet’s nest.
Before we jump into the actual viability of this move, Darlington is about as trustworthy as they come. This is not a report that the Bucs are interested in OBJ or that OBJ wants to be in Tampa right now, but Darlington has proven time and time again, especially with Tom Brady, that he has more than enough credibility in the sport.
Now, for the move itself. Some fans are excited by the longshot prospect of signing one of the best wide receivers in the NFL still (if you haven’t seen the video yet, it is certainly worth a watch highlighting the fact OBJ hasn’t lost his talent) while others are disgusted by the notion.
The excitement is easy to understand. The Buccaneers already have the best receiver trio in the NFL with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown. Brown has been hurt in recent weeks, but Tyler Johnson has stepped into that next role well, and Scotty Miller should return soon.
Regardless of the depth, OBJ would still be one of the best players on the roster by a mile. The injuries are one thing, but saying that Beckham isn’t a good receiver anymore is flat-out laughable.
Going after good players for any improvement is what great teams do to stay relevant, and having talent at the position already hasn’t stopped Tampa in the past from going after other players (see Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette, etc.)
On the other hand, some fans hate the idea in part due to Beckham’s “diva” personality. This could be a problem if it weren’t provable the other way around in Tampa. Everyone said the exact same thing about Antonio Brown before he started. In just one year, Brown has become a model teammate and is back in the limelight in the NFL for all the right reasons.
Divas can’t hurt a team like the Bucs, and OBJ has been far less complicated than Brown. If there was a reason to stay away from Beckham, this isn’t it.
In the end, this move should be impossible based on money and a lack of need, but the Bucs have made other unbelievable signings in the past. Jeff Darlington didn’t do much to make this a firm option for either side, but it is important to note that the connection exists.
As the rest of the bad teams in the NFL hold their breath to see who wins out on the Odell Beckham Jr. sweepstakes, Bucs fans should probably just be thankful for what they already have in their wide receiver room.
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