Not too long ago, Odell Beckham Jr. was one of the NFL‘s best and deadliest wide receivers.
But two ACL injuries in a short amount of time have reduced him to still being a free agent four weeks into the 2022 season.
He was a member of the Los Angeles Rams last season after the Cleveland Browns released him, and he helped them win the Super Bowl, recording 52 yards and a touchdown versus the Cincinnati Bengals before exiting with his second ACL injury.
Beckham visited the New York City area to be with the New York Giants a few days ago, leading to speculation that he may be about to reunite with his original team, although a Giants insider threw some cold water on that rumor.
Odell Beckham Jr. flew to NYC/NJ to visit good friend Sterling Shepard, who recently tore his ACL & is preparing for surgery. So OBJ visited his friend at the Giants facility (he was there, as @JosinaAnderson said), but it was not an official free agent visit with the Giants
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) October 4, 2022
There will surely be multiple teams vying for Beckham’s services, and one journalist for CBS Sports feels the Los Angeles Chargers could make sense for him.
“They have Super Bowl aspirations in a tough division, and while Justin Herbert can post MVP-caliber numbers feeding Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Gerald Everett, they could benefit from late-year reinforcements with Keenan Allen now battling a hamstring injury that threatens to linger,” wrote Cody Benjamin.
The Chargers Could Use Another Threat At Wideout
When fully healthy, the Chargers are one of the NFL’s most prolific offensive squads.
Herbert is a phenomenal, MVP-caliber quarterback, Allen has made five straight Pro Bowls, and Williams continues to emerge as a prime-time wideout.
Meanwhile, Ekeler is one of the game’s more versatile skill players.
But some feel they may be one piece short of a true championship puzzle.
They lack a true speed threat at wideout, especially after Jalen Guyton, their closest thing to such a player, went down with a season-ending ACL injury.
At this point in his career, Beckham may not be the consistent speed demon he used to be.
But if he’s healthy, surely he can give LA doses of speed from time to time.
Odell Beckham Jr’s max speed of 21.7 mph is the fastest any player has run scoring a TD this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. pic.twitter.com/lTzOXFKfP8
— Cleveland Sports Fans (@CLE_SPORTS_FANS) September 17, 2019
A speed threat like that could keep opposing defensive backs off balance and open things up for Allen, Williams, and Everett in the short-to-medium range game.
So far this season, the Chargers’ defense has been problematic, despite the addition of multiple players to both their front seven and secondary.
If those problems continue, perhaps they should simply double-down on their biggest strength, which is the passing game.
Los Angeles Is Becoming A Juggernaut In The Air
After scoring a bitterly poor 10 points against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3, the Bolts bore down on Sunday versus the Houston Texans, putting up 34 points.
Through the first four games of the season, they rank seventh in total yards, fifth in passing attempts and passing touchdowns, and first in passing yards.
Good things happen when head coach Brandon Staley turns Herbert loose and lets him play an up-tempo game and throw the ball downfield early and often.
A healthy Beckham could fit in with such a scheme very well.
LA may continue to struggle defensively at times, especially when it comes to passing touchdowns, a category in which it ranks just 29th, but going all-in on its biggest strength could be its best bet to winning its first Super Bowl.
As Bruce Lee once said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
NEXT: Chargers' Defense Is Still Problematic Despite Week 4 Win