On Thursday, Odell Beckham Jr. agreed to a deal with the Rams. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer revealed that L.A.'s stars played a significant role in brokering the deal without much of the front office's input.
The Rams were not among the teams initially connected to Beckham in the days following his release from the Browns. The Chiefs, Packers, Patriots, Saints and Seahawks were reportedly regarded as the teams most heavily involved with the big-name wide receiver.
In recent years, Los Angeles has pushed trades for high-profile players like Jalen Ramsey and Matthew Stafford. The Rams also added Von Miller from the Broncos ahead of the trade deadline. Even so, the team did not have a ton of salary-cap room, and according to Breer, that concern was communicated to Beckham's team.
"The Rams communicated to Beckham's camp, 'We really just don't have that much money to spend right now.' The response from Beckham's camp: 'Stay on top of this, stay involved because Odell really likes the idea of going there,' " Breer said.
"Meanwhile, the Rams players, without the knowledge of the Rams front office, quietly conducted a recruiting effort," Breer added, suggesting the team's players may have played an even bigger role in getting this done than general manager Les Snead and his team.
This news is informed by some of the Rams' social media activity as the Beckham news was breaking Thursday afternoon. Miller posted a screenshot of a FaceTime call with Beckham with the caption reading: "Let's chase this ring family!!!!" Hours earlier, Ramsey quote-tweeted the message that he sent ahead of the trade for Miller, which hinted at the Beckham news to come.
On Thursday night, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Beckham's deal includes a $500,000 signing bonus, along with $750,000 for the rest of the regular season. The one-year contract could be worth up to $4.25 million, thanks to "team-based incentives" for how the Rams finish the season and perform in the playoffs.
Beckham is off to a very slow start, with just 17 receptions for 232 yards. He'll look to jump-start his season and get back on track as part of the NFL's most explosive offenses, alongside Stafford and star receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods.
The Rams play on the road and face the 49ers on Monday Night Football this coming week. It remains to be seen whether Beckham will be active for that game or whether he'd make his debut on Nov. 28 against the Packers.
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