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Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPN
MIAMI — The Dolphins have agreed to terms on a contract with wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., a source confirmed to ESPN, adding a veteran presence to a position group looking for a third option.
The source said it’s a one-year deal worth $3 million, with incentives that can push its max value to $8.25 million.
Beckham visited with the Dolphins in March, but the sides were unable to reach an agreement then. General manager Chris Grier said before the NFL draft that there was “nothing imminent” on a deal with the three-time Pro Bowler; despite taking two wide receivers in the draft, Grier didn’t downplay the possibility of signing Beckham after its conclusion.
“We always look at opportunities and work through it,” Grier said. “We’re always looking to add to the roster and have the most competitive roster we can to make the team better; as we’ve always talked, competition is what breeds excellence. For us, we’ll keep looking, like we’ve said, post-draft, like we’ve done here in the past. We’ll keep looking and talking to people and see what happens.”
Beckham, 31, joins a wide receivers room that already features two stars in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. He will likely compete with Braxton Berrios, River Cracraft, Erik Ezukanma, and rookies Malik Washington and Tahj Washington for the third receiver job behind Hill and Waddle. Since coach Mike McDaniel was hired in 2022, no receiver other than Hill and Waddle has recorded more than 32 catches or 417 yards, as a majority of targets funnel to Miami’s electric tandem.
But that’s not to say the opportunity or desire for a third receiver to emerge doesn’t exist. McDaniel was excited about the possibility of coaching a player like Beckham when asked about it at the league’s annual meeting in March.
“We did make him an offer, and business takes time, especially with players like Odell, who’s had a phenomenal career and still has really good football in front of him and has options,” McDaniel said. “I think those conversations will be ongoing. We’ll see where they go. I don’t live in the world of crystal-balling, and I do stay in my lane as a coach. I’m definitely ready to coach him if we can come to an agreement, and I think both sides are trying to work towards that. We’ll see what happens.”
Beckham remains one of the most popular names in the NFL despite his production slipping over the years. He has failed to eclipse 50 catches or 600 receiving yards in each of his past three seasons played, with all three having been heavily impacted by injuries.
In 2020, Beckham tore the ACL in his left knee while with the Cleveland Browns, forcing him to miss the final nine games of the season. After getting released by the Browns midway through the 2021 season, he joined the Los Angeles Rams and helped them to the Super Bowl, where he injured his left knee again.
Beckham sat out the entire 2022 season before signing a one-year, $15 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens, which was one of the biggest one-year payouts given to a wide receiver last offseason. He finished with underwhelming numbers — 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns — but teammates credited his leadership and experience in guiding Baltimore to a league-best 13-4 record in the regular season.
After the Ravens’ AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Beckham said, “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.”
The No. 12 pick of the 2014 draft, taken by the New York Giants, Beckham reached the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. Along with Justin Jefferson and Michael Thomas, he is one of three NFL players to record at least 80 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in the first three seasons of a career.
Beckham quickly reached stardom with an unbelievable one-handed grab in November 2014, when he caught the ball with his outstretched right hand in midair while falling backward along the sideline. In nine seasons with the Giants, Browns, Rams and Ravens, Beckham has totaled 566 receptions for 7,932 yards and 59 touchdowns.
NFL Network was first to report Beckham’s agreement with the Dolphins.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com