Buccaneers should pursue Super Bowl champion for 2022
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers and Odell Beckham Jr. could make an exciting fit for 2022.
After a few unlucky breaks, the wide receiver room was one of the weaker positions for the Buccaneers in 2021. Injuries and the Antonio Brown debacle forced Tampa to prove how deep their receiver room actually was, and the results were not impressive.
One way or another, the Bucs need to stay aggressive in free agency and the draft to improve this unit for next season, and there is a chance that Odell Beckham Jr. could be the perfect option.
OBJ will be rehabbing a significant injury for the foreseeable future, but this could only build into the odds of this deal happening.
While Beckham looked like he was moving towards another significant extension after some great performances for the Rams during the latter part of the season and the postseason, he will not probably sign a cheaper deal with a team that is willing to be without him until the middle to end of the 2022 season.
The Bucs are one of these teams.
The NFC South is very weak, and Tampa should be in contention for the title through most of the season. OBJ coming back around week 11 or 12 could put the NFC South out of reach for some of the other teams, and this would give the Bucs a few games to get Beckham up to speed with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and the new quarterback.
Beckham is fragile, but the good news is he isn’t expensive. Needing a prove-it deal, OBJ should sign for cheap for another chance to show that he is still one of the most talented receivers in the game, which is exactly what we saw during his time in L.A. This would save Tampa some money, but it also allows them to invest in a rookie that could get decent touches in the regular season.
The biggest trepidation that some fans have with Beckham has been his “diva” personality, but this was not on show with the Rams. OBJ showed a consistent team-first mentality during the Super Bowl run, and that would fit perfectly in Tampa.
There may be a lot of other names to look for this offseason, but Odell Beckham Jr. certainly should get some looks from the Bucs as they look for a way to stay relevant in the post-Brady era.
Receiver depth always helps, and Odell Beckham still makes a case as one of the best receivers in the sport when healthy. A cheap gamble to see if that player is still there is far from the worst decision the Bucs could make this offseason.
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