LA Rams win now attracts another NFL star to roster: Odell Beckham Jr.

It’s done. The LA Rams will sign veteran free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Now, how did we get here?

As soon as the LA Rams traded a 2022 second-round and third-round pick to the Denver Broncos, it was quite obvious that the LA Rams want to win the Super Bowl in 2021. How so? Well, the contract for All-Pro outside linebacker Von Miller expires at the end of 2021.

That trade was given a bit of forwarding, a harbinger of things to come on social media. Of course, the sign came from none other than All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey, a player who has relentlessly recruited other NFL players to join the LA Rams roster since he signed his multi-year extension.

After the news was reported that the LA Rams did indeed pull off that blockbuster trade to land their third elite All-Pro defender, it all made sense. The clues of something happening were there, staring at us. Even as we guessed the fact that the LA Rams would make a move, we never guessed that it would be for the face of the Denver Broncos franchise, Von Miller.

There are three things that drive professional athletes to sign with a team:

I   –  The money
II  –  The chance to win a championship
III –  The team

While outside linebacker Von Miller was traded to the LA Rams, and never had that chance to handpick his next team, that is not the case for a player who is released and clears NFL waivers. Right now, that is where NFL teams find Odell Beckham Jr.

This is not just a one-sided story about a malcontented wide receiver. We know already that the demand to ‘play me’ is part of the normal give-and-take with veteran wide receivers. It’s part of the story about DeSean Jackson and Josh Reynolds. In fact, it’s likely a component of each veteran wide receiver free agent.

Players in the NFL know that their livelihood depends on making positive impacts for the team they contract with. So is it fair to condemn them for wanting to play enough to earn a large next contract?