What's The Ceiling For The New Ravens Star?
Updated: Jul 6, 2023
The Baltimore Ravens have had a productive offseason giving their fans a lot of optimism in 2023. One of the marquee moves besides quarterback Lamar Jackson signing the richest contract in NFL history was the addition of three-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl 56 Super Bowl Champion wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
OBJ figures to be Lamar Jackson's best weapon and should add even more firepower to the offense. Recently, he posted to his Instagram to show fans what he truly needs to do. Take a look.
What Could Be In Store For The Ravens Offense?
If OBJ can truly get back to his peak form, the entire NFL will be on notice. In 2023, Beckham will return to the field for the first time since Super Bowl 56 two seasons ago where he tore his ACL and has been recovering ever since. In the game before he went down, he was a key difference maker for the Los Angeles Rams. OBJ caught a 17-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to put LA up 7-0 over the Cincinnati Bengals. He also recorded a 35-yard catch. After the injury, the Rams offense sputtered, but held on to win 23-20.
In the regular season preceding the Super Bowl, Beckham was a member of the Cleveland Browns before a midseason trade. He was not quite the focal point of Cleveland's offense, which caused tension between the team and OBJ. He only recorded 232 yards in six games. His first ACL tear in the 2020 season also kept his production low.
However, fans as well as Beckham Jr. hope he can go back to his days of being one of the best receivers in the NFL (2014-2019). For six straight seasons, five with the New York Giants and one with the Cleveland Browns, he recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards every year. He was awarded the NFL Rookie of the Year in 2014 and made the Pro Bowl his first three seasons in the league.
Beckham's best year was in 2015 where he recorded 1,450 receiving yards, 15.1 yards per reception, and 13 touchdowns on the year. New York ultimately finished with a losing record, but it was a productive season for the LSU product.
The question many fans have is will OBJ look like he did during his Giants' days or his days in Cleveland? After recovering from two ACL tears and being past the age of 30, it's difficult to imagine him getting back to his peak. However, like his Super Bowl performance, expect him to show some flashes of greatness. He'll become a piece of the the new look Ravens offense, but not the focal point.
Baltimore spent to offseason finding Lamar Jackson a variety of talent to work with. The team added promising young receiver Zay Flowers out of Boston College in the draft. Veteran receivers such as Nelson Agholor and Laquon Treadwell were added as free agents. Tight end Mark Andrews, the team's 2022 receiving leader, figures to be a threat in the passing game as well.
A balanced offense between run and pass is expected. Jackson will take off running a lot, but still has J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards among others in the backfield. It figures to be quite an exciting season as long as player health remains in Baltimore's favor.
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