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Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Although it seems as if wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wants to continue playing, it’s uncertain whether he will remain with the Baltimore Ravens.
Beckham, 31, will become a free agent if he doesn’t reach an extension with the Ravens by March 14, a day after the start of the new league year. But it’s unknown whether Baltimore will have a spot for Beckham based on what the team has said and done this offseason.
At the NFL combine, coach John Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta were noncommittal when talking about the future of the three-time Pro Bowl player in Baltimore.
“I know that’s probably a question that people are asking,” Harbaugh said. “I’ve got my fingers crossed. We’ll see. That’s kind of out there. Those are those things that kind of answer themselves in time.”
Beckham was the Ravens’ most expensive free agent signing in 2023, when he agreed to a one-year, $15 million deal that later included void years for salary cap purposes. After missing all of the 2022 season while recovering from left knee surgery, he finished with 35 catches for 565 yards receiving, which ranked second on the team. Baltimore officials were impressed by his impact in the locker room and his positive influence on young wide receivers such as Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.
The Ravens have been in contact with Beckham this offseason, and DeCosta said they had just texted before speaking at the combine.
“I love Odell,” DeCosta said. “He’s become a great friend of mine and a friend to the Ravens, and I think we’ll just kind of assess and see what happens over the next couple of weeks.”
Even though Beckham’s numbers fell short of expectations, there were some encouraging signs. His average of 16.1 yards per catch was a career high. He only missed two games to injury last season.
“To me, if there is anything I felt about myself — regardless of anybody’s opinion or anything like that — is that I know that I can still play football, and I know that I still have s— in the tank,” Beckham said after the Ravens’ 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. “As far as my future, [I’ll] just take a step back, breathe for a second, pick [my] chin up, just know that life goes on, and we’ll figure out what’s next after that.”
There are several factors that will impact re-signing Beckham, from the cost to Baltimore’s personnel to its plan for the draft. Harbaugh and DeCosta both expressed confidence that Bateman will have a breakout year after his first season not limited by injuries. A first-round pick in 2021, Bateman has never caught more than 50 passes in a season and has totaled four touchdowns in 34 games.
“I think Rashod Bateman is going to take a big step,” Harbaugh said. “Rashod is going to get opportunities this year. He ran routes really well. He worked super hard. He was healthy for the first time — even as the year went on, he got healthier, and you could see it in his play. The ball got to him, [and] when it did, he made some great plays. The ball is going to get to him a lot more next year.”
Baltimore has already brought back one veteran receiver, signing Nelson Agholor to a one-year deal before his contract voided last month. Agholor finished with fewer targets (45) and receiving yards (381) than Beckham but played 124 more snaps than he did.
“He brought a lot to the table this year as a player but also as a leader,” DeCosta said of Agholor. “He was great for that receiver room — the way that he conducted his business every day [and] the way that he practiced every day. The guys that saw him out there every single day know that he had tremendous intangibles and brought a lot to the table.”
The Ravens could add a wide receiver through the draft, which would take away another spot from Beckham. If Baltimore doesn’t exercise the fifth-year option on Bateman, the only Ravens wide receiver signed beyond the 2024 season is Flowers.
“That’s a critical position; the data supports that,” DeCosta said about wide receivers. “And that’s a position, too, where some of these guys are like race cars; they break down at times. And so, having depth at that position is critical, [and] we saw that this year.
“I think it’s a very, very deep year in the draft. This draft class is pretty impressive from a receiver standpoint.”
Source: www.espn.com