10 months ago, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. tore his ACL on the biggest stage, playing in the Super Bowl for the Los Angeles Rams. Now he is ready to be released to act. Should the Chicago Bears try their luck in the dark?
Look, we know Beckham, 30, is probably looking to sign with a competitive team, and it’s not the Bears.
However, the Bears offense is suddenly an attractive place to play. Justin Fields took a leap forward and rocked the league. Last week, Fields broke the NFL run record in a single game held by Michael Vick. To say it’s not at least a tantalizing thought would be a lie.
But, Beckham will likely watch teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs or maybe even the San Francisco 49ers – the Bears don’t stand a chance.
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles should at least make Odell Beckham Jr. an offer that will make him look twice.
Look, NFC stinks. The Bears still have a few winnable games on their schedule, including two against the Detroit Lions from this weekend. If Beckham were to be shut out, come in and learn the offense, he could help the Bears push for a wildcard spot.
Would that be enough to satisfy Beckham? Not likely.
However, if he becomes a major factor in this offense (and he would), then Beckham essentially proves he’s still worth one more massive contract – and, guess who’s got around $120m to work with space. ceiling next year?
The Chicago Bears.
Let’s say Beckham was to get an irrefutable offer from the Poles – we’re talking about a guaranteed sum of money. If he takes advantage of this short-term deal and is able to help further develop Fields and transform an offense like Chicago, Beckham’s value will skyrocket next offseason as a free agent.
Maybe, just maybe, the Bears can lock him in for the long haul next spring. It’s the longest of the long shots, of course, but if the Poles can come out and at least say he tried, that would tell fans a lot about what kind of general manager he is.
If the Poles can say that he did everything he could to try to improve this team in the future, the fans will be able to trust the Poles’ plan much more in the future.
