Former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. went unclaimed on the waiver wire Tuesday, making him a free agent. This news comes as the Jacksonville Jaguars (and a few others) had the salary cap to pick up the remainder of the contract he received in 2018.
Many fans wondered if Beckham could be a fit in Duval as the Jags need receiver help desperately with DJ Chark Jr. out for the season, but the veteran would have been owed $7.25 million (for the last nine games) had the Jags picked him up. However, the Jags elected not to take a gamble on Beckham and it may have simply been because Beckham wants to play for a contender. Also, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, there was the potential for there to be problems if a team claimed Beckham that he didn’t feel was a fit.
With the Jags not rolling the dice on Beckham, they will now just hope they can get more out of what they have at receiver. They recently added a former third-round speed threat to their practice squad in John Brown, so maybe he’ll be able to add some much-needed explosiveness to the offense. Regardless, it’s clear the type of long-term help the Jags need at receiver likely won’t be acquired until 2022, but hopefully one of the pieces they have can bridge the gap until then.
