Why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Odell Beckham Jr. Make Sense
While most everyone reading this wanted to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals, it was the Los Angeles Rams and their trio of 2021 veteran additions representing the NFC instead.
At one point, one of those newcomers was on his way to becoming the game's MVP until a torn ACL left him laying on the SoFi Stadium surface with the collective sympathies of the NFL watching world pouring out on social media.
But it wasn't the end of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., just the end of his season.
As devastating as an ACL injury was once considered, modern medicine and recovery methods have made it much easier for players to bounce back.
Beckham already knows this, even though his previous ACL repair didn't apparently go so well.
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As he moves forward from this latest injury, Beckham is undoubtedly looking for a few things in his next team.
The first is the opportunity to win. It's widely said winning one Super Bowl isn't as hard as winning another. After getting his first, Beckham will no doubt want to get a second, and a third, and a -- you get the idea.
Then, there's the drive to be a contributing factor to that winning team. Beckham should be looking for a team in need of another reliable playmaker.
Finally, there's money. The easiest part of the equation, to be honest. It won't be a question of if the contract can be worked out, but if the team in question will make it work.
Of course, there are more contributing factors weighing in including personal relationships within and outside the organization, but I won't pretend to be an expert on everything that drives OBJ.
The three listed here are fairly obvious, but there aren't a lot of teams that fit the bill.
Beckham could certainly look to be the next star player to make the jump from the NFC to the AFC, but he'd be clouding the odds the team he joined will be a legitimate contender by the time he's ready to fully contribute in 2022.
The NFC race, however, figures to be fairly limited in who the real contenders will be.
In the NFC West, the Rams still figure to sit at the top of the division, so Beckham could certainly return.
Then there are the Packers in the NFC North, but their grip on the division seems to be weakening even with the return of quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
The NFC East's teams will have to earn the title of contenders in progress.
This leaves the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A team with the financial ability to make the money work as players in Beckham's position typically has to accept modest one-year deals, a roster of proven competitors, and experience incorporating a veteran receiver mid-season with great success.
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When the Bucs added Tom Brady to the roster in 2020 they inspired a streak of teams adding veteran quarterbacks and other playmakers seeking to gain the one player needed to put them over the top.
While Tampa Bay has already gotten their veteran quarterback and a Super Bowl win as a result, there's no reason to think the team couldn't add yet another well-known playmaker looking for a chance to perform and win, again.
For more on this and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers check out James Yarcho and David Harrison on the Locked On Bucs Podcast!
