AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
Odell Beckham Jr. may wind up getting a ton of targets in Los Angeles now that Robert Woods is out for the season, but that was no guarantee when he initially signed with the Rams.
Peter King of NBC Sports reported head coach Sean McVay was “upfront” in telling Beckham that the wide receiver would not be force-fed a certain number of targets from starting quarterback Matthew Stafford.
“But I can tell you if you’re open, Matthew will get you the ball,” McVay said.
Beckham signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Rams last week, a move that came as a shock to the football world because Los Angeles was not considered a prime candidate. The three-time Pro Bowler was seemingly destined to sit No. 3 on the depth chart, but Woods suffered a torn ACL that will thrust Beckham into the spotlight early.
The Rams (7-2) have had one of the most dynamic passing offenses this season, a far cry from the run-and-play-action outfit he dealt with in Cleveland.
“Stafford is night-and-day different from Baker (Mayfield)—night and an extra day,” a coach told The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “Stafford can get it to whoever he has to get it to, he can make every throw, he can drop back and pass. Baker played well against Cincinnati, they jumped all over them, but you look at it, a lot of play-action, running game was going, they jumped on him, it was over.”
It’s also possible that Beckham winds up contributing on special teams, particularly as a punt returner (he last did so with the Browns two years ago). The Rams may not have guaranteed a certain number of targets, but he’s going to have more opportunities to get the ball in his hands simply by proxy of playing in a better offense.
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