The Los Angeles Rams ultimately landed wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., but it sounds like part of the reason they did was down to who else had interest.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Seattle Seahawks actually made the strongest offer to Beckham in the early stages of his free agency. When the Arizona Cardinals also showed interest, the Rams decided to step up their pursuit, partly to prevent Beckham from landing with an NFC West rival.
Some background on Odell Beckham free agency last week: Seattle actually made the strongest offer over the first few days. Rams stepped in w/ heavy incentives because they wanted the player, but they also had to ensure no other NFC West team got him. Arizona also inquired.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 20, 2021
Maybe that’s why Pete Carroll seemed so confident about a Beckham pursuit at first.
Ultimately, while it wasn’t a deciding factor, Beckham certainly considered contractual matters when hunting for a new team. That may have been the undoing of one other interested team.
Photo: Jan 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers former player Odell Beckham, Jr. in attendance before the College Football Playoff national championship game against the Clemson Tigers at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
