OBJ’s price is dropping. It hasn’t dropped enough for him to get a deal. Yet.
Via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, Beckham is currently thought to be looking for $15 million on a one-year deal.
He’d previously been seeking $20 million per year. There were no takers, and OBJ bristled 15 days ago at the notion he wants $20 million -- while also complaining that no one had offered more than $4 million.
Given the current market at the position, he was right to initially be looking for $20 million. But with no one wiling to make that commitment until he proves himself healthy and capable, he needs to lower his sights.
Cimini suggests that a deal in the range of $10 million to $12 million plus incentives “seems more likely.” However, there’s no reason to think there’s an offer like that on the table.
At some point, Beckham needs to do the best deal he can -- if he wants to play. He can wait until after the draft, when the demand in theory could increase, if a receiver-needy team doesn’t get the guy it wants. Then there’s a risk, however, that a team that would have been interested in Beckham successfully addresses the position.
For now, the wait continues. Nearly three weeks since the market opened, the big money is long gone. His best play will be to land in a good spot for 2023 on a one-year deal, show he’s healthy, stay healthy, make a big impact, and try to get paid in 2024.
And the best fit would be a place with great quarterback play, like the Chiefs or (once Aaron Rodgers officially arrives) the Jets.