November 08, 2021

Should the Eagles put in a claim on Odell Beckham Jr.?

By Jimmy Kempski
PhillyVoice Staff

No, they shouldn't. You can go about your day now.

For those who want a longer explanation why they shouldn't... OK, fine.

To begin, Beckham was waived by the Cleveland Browns after his unhappiness came to a head this week, when Odell Beckham Sr. posted a video of instances in which his son was open, but did not result in a target and/or completion.

The Browns worked out an arrangement with Beckham in which the final two years of his contract were lopped off, and he can become a free agent after the 2021 season. For now, because he was released after the trade deadline, Beckham will be subjected to waivers. Beckham will go to the team that is highest in the waiver claim order on Tuesday, assuming at least one team puts in a claim on him. If no teams put in a claim, he will be a free agent, and can sign with any team.

How much would the Eagles owe Beckham if they claimed him?

Any team that claims Beckham will owe him $7.25 million the rest of this season. That is a steep price for an eight game rental for any team, much less one with no reasonable Super Bowl — or even playoff — expectations.

Need more reasons? Alright...

That injury history...

A list of Beckham's prior injuries, via SportsInjuryPredictor.com:

October 2020, torn ACL: He missed the Browns' final 11 games of the season.
January 2020, core muscle surgery: After appearing on the injury report most weeks during the 2019 season, Beckham had core muscle surgery during the 2020 offseason.
November 2018, quad bruise: Beckham suffered a quad bruise in Week 12 against the Eagles. He played through it the following week but then missed the final 4 games. He reported it was a hematoma.
October 2017: Pedal ankle fracture: Beckham fractured his left ankle. He required surgery and missed the rest of the season.
Aug 2017: Pedal ankle (high) sprain grade 3: Beckham suffered a high left ankle sprain in the 2nd preseason game. He missed the last 2 preseason games and the regular season opener.
August 2014: Hamstring tear grade 3: Beckham suffered an initial hamstring injury sometime in spring workouts and then faced multiple setbacks during training camp. He missed the preseason and 1st 4 regular season games, revealing later that he sustained 2 tears in the area.

So, uh, he gets hurt a lot.

And the distractions...

According to a report from Adam Schefter, Beckham could be a distraction if a team that he does not want to play for would claim him.

Beckham does not want to go to just any team, according to sources familiar with his thinking. Beckham wants to spend the rest of this season with a playoff contender and in a winning environment, where he believes he would be happy and productive.
If a team that does not fit this criteria claims Beckham and the $7.25 million remaining on his contract, there could be potential issues for that team, according to a source, although it is unclear exactly what those issues would be.

Lol.

Is he even good anymore?

It's kind of funny that Beckham (reportedly) feels entitled to bully his way out of getting claimed by just any team, considering he hasn't been a star receiver in over a half decade. Here are his season averages over his first three seasons in the NFL, verses his last four full seasons (not including his bad start to 2021):

Odell Beckham	Rec	Yards	YPC	TD
First 3 yrs, season averages	96	1374	14.3	12
Last full 4 yrs, season averages	50	677	13.5	4

In 2021, he has 17 catches on 34 targets for 232 yards and 0 TDs. Yet, on Sunday morning, the top four stories on ESPN's NFL page were all about Beckham. Why should anyone care this much about Odell Beckham? And yes, I realize that as I ask this question, I'm writing an article about him myself.

But what about comp picks?

Could the Eagles get a comp pick if they claimed him, and then he left in free agency during the 2022 offseason?

According to the great Nick Korte of OverTheCap, nope.

If Odell Beckham, Jr.'s renegotiated contract is claimed off waivers, he will not be eligible to become a compensatory free agent in favor of his new team, should he depart for a different team next offseason. https://t.co/RaQkq5nppD
— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) November 5, 2021