What Odell Beckham Jr. brings to the Rams
The Rams didn’t necessarily need to add a star wide receiver. They already had the league’s leading wideout, Cooper Kupp, as well as Robert Woods and Van Jefferson. But with DeSean Jackson being cut and Tutu Atwell on injured reserve, they saw a void that could be filled.
And so they went out and added Odell Beckham Jr., who has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Rams. He’s the latest Pro Bowler to arrive in Los Angeles, giving Matthew Stafford yet another weapon to throw to.
While he may not be the Beckham that dominated for the Giants years ago, he’s still a player who threatens a defense at all levels of the field. Here’s more of what he brings to the Rams, bolstering what’s now the best receiving corps in football.
Downfield explosiveness
Cooper Kupp isn’t the fastest receiver, nor is he necessarily a deep threat. Robert Woods has some speed but he’s not seen as a field-stretcher, either. The same goes for Van Jefferson, who has downfield speed but doesn’t bring the explosiveness that Beckham has.
With Beckham, the Rams get a combination of a receiver who can threaten a defense deep but also turn a short pass into a big play. Cornerbacks have to account for his speed on every play because when utilized correctly, he can excel as a deep threat on the outside.
Speed after the catch
Beckham can use his 4.3 speed in a variety of ways. Not only can he stretch the field vertically, but he can also rack up the yards after the catch, similar to the way Kupp and Woods do. That’s a huge asset for a quarterback because as long as Stafford puts the ball in the right spot, Beckham can make a big play.
Whether it’s on drag routes, slants, screens or crossers, Beckham can erase angles from defenders and create explosive plays after the catch with his quickness. Kupp, Woods and Jefferson are good athletes, but they don’t have the speed and quickness that Beckham does in the open field.
Jump-ball ability
Beckham was a dynamic athlete at LSU and continued to show that with the Rams, utilizing all of his 38.5-inch vertical to make plays above the rim, so to speak. He’s got a big catch radius and while he may not be the most physical receiver, he can still elevate over defenders to make plays.
The Rams have lacked a true jump-ball receiver under Sean McVay but now have someone who can win on fades and high-point the ball on throws from Stafford. Jefferson has had some success in that department and Jacob Harris was supposed to help, but Beckham is now the best wideout on the team in those scenarios.
Someone to take pressure off of Cooper Kupp
The Cardinals are really the only team that has keyed on Kupp and truly slowed him down. As the season goes on, it’s likely more defenses will figure out ways to do that, but that’ll be tougher to do with Beckham in the mix.
Now, defenses not only have to account for Woods and Jefferson, but also Beckham when he’s on the field. With his speed, safeties will play over the top more and open things up for Kupp underneath and on intermediate routes.
McVay is a brilliant play designer and will come up with route combinations to put defenders in a bind because locking down Kupp and Beckham will be incredibly tough to do.
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