The Pittsburgh Steelers will be facing a new face twice a year, as the Baltimore Ravens have signed controversial wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (OBJ) to a 1-year, $18-million deal. Considering how disastrous the offseason has been for Baltimore, this seems like another in a long line of moves that are either confusing or desperate.
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Steelers' rivals sign star WR, Odell Beckham Jr., previously of the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams.
Steelers passed, but Ravens saw worth despite everything else
Considering the baggage that is required when one signs a player like OBJ, the expected production is something that could be counted on to some degree when he was younger and his attitude hadn't fully caught up to him yet. The biggest question mark on the Ravens in the 2022 offseason, though, is only made more glaring by this acquisition; Lamar Jackson.
There are plenty of receivers who have discovered the hard way that while their talent may be something not of this world, the person throwing the ball actually matters a great deal. The press attention and confused-puppy-eyed conference that John Harbaugh always makes more awkward than necessary will fade quickly when Beckham realizes he's going to be catching passes from Tyler Huntley or Anthony Brown.
Baltimoreravens.com
Baltimore Ravens head coach, John Harbaugh.
There is another way to look at this, though, because the Ravens could be using this as a Hail Mary shot to get Jackson to stay with Baltimore. Granted, it would be long past time to make some kind of grand gesture considering how wrecked their relationship is, but of all the "shiny toys" that could be brought in to entice Jackson into signing with the Ravens, who decided that Odell Beckham Jr. was the top of the heap? Whoever did must either have money against the Ravens, or simply stopped watching football after 2017 (OBJ has seen consistent dropoffs in production beginning in 2017).
Is it beyond unfortunate that the Steelers' fan base will have to endure the string of over-the-top press conferences that are sure to come out of Baltimore touting their new "weapon," while not letting any reporters ask questions about the "Lamar Jackson situation."
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Ravens quarterback, Lamar Jackson (#8) attempts to evade Steelers edge rusher, TJ Watt during a regular season matchup in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers shouldn't be fazed
Beckham has always been a bigger personality than he ever was a game-changing player. He had big games and wonderful individual moments, but that is because when it comes to OBJ, the moments should be about him. Without Lamar Jackson shouldering the workload every game, it seems like the Ravens are going to rely on their ground game and a steady dose of Beckham to counteract any negative football results; any fan who has ever watched football can see that this is a massive crap shoot, but when has a late offseason signing of an aging, temperamental wide receiver to a team without the guarantee of a legitimate starting quarterback been anything but a safe bet, right?
Unless OBJ somehow found the fountain of youth and the Ravens are keeping their big Lamar Jackson contract extension a secret, this has all the signs of a disaster that should be a delight for Steelers fans to watch. Soon enough, Baltimore will find out what the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, and Los Angeles Rams know full well now.
Besides, we will get to see the possible trainwreck up close twice a season. No need to fret here, but you might want to mute the TV for a bit until the Ravens' attempts to convince the world they were correct have trailed off.
