Pros and Cons of Lions Pursuing WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Read more on the pros and cons of the Detroit Lions pursuing wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason.

Jared Goff connects with Odell Beckham Jr. for a Detroit Lions touchdown: Could we hear such a phrase uttered by NFL radio and TV play-by-play announcers in 2022?

There's a chance, as the big-play, polarizing receiver is set to be an unrestricted free agent at season's end. 

Beckham's got a pretty big game to worry about first, though: the Super Bowl. 

"I remember watching the Super Bowl -- I can’t remember which one, but it was probably Tom Brady -- but wanting to be there so bad,” Beckham told reporters this week in Los Angeles, the site of Super Bowl 56. “As a kid, you say the words, ‘I’m going to play in the Super Bowl,’ and now at 29 years old, here I am with my first opportunity to play in the Super Bowl. It’s just a dream come true.”

The star wideout, who is now a member of the NFC champion Los Angeles Rams, was cut by the Cleveland Browns in early November after things had fizzled out between him and the organization. 

The connection between Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and him had eroded, and both sides were ready to move on from each other. 

At the time of the 2014 first-rounder's release, his stock wasn't extremely high.  

He had recorded just 17 catches for 232 yards, and had failed to score a single touchdown in six games with the Browns. 

The three-time Pro Bowler was also deemed to be a player that couldn't "play nice" with his teammates. 

So, when the Rams decided to ink Beckham to a one-year contract, many pundits speculated that it would damage the team's chemistry and ultimately derail Los Angeles' season. 

Boy, were these so-called experts wrong, though, as Beckham has proven to be a godsend for Rams signal-caller Matthew Stafford & Co. 

On the same day in which the former N.Y. Giants receiver arrived at the organization's headquarters, star Los Angeles receiver Robert Woods went down with a season-ending ACL injury. 

Beckham immediately went from a luxury to a necessity for Sean McVay and the Rams' offense. 

And, the 29-year-old has made the most of his opportunity.

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Ever wonder exactly what players are trying to gather when looking at pictures during the game? The @obj hole shot from last week is the perfect example of what… @ramsnfl@minakimes #NFL #NFLLIVE pic.twitter.com/IMLCQESk9Z

— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) February 4, 2022

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In eight regular season games in Los Angeles, Beckham racked up 27 receptions for 305 yards and five scores.

And, during the organization's run to the Super Bowl, the 5-foot-11, 198-pound wideout has become Stafford's non-Cooper Kupp go-to target.

In fact, in three postseason games with the Rams, Beckham has amassed 23 receptions for 264 yards and a touchdown, including nine catches for 113 yards in L.A.'s NFC Championship Game victory over the San Francisco 49ers. 

In his short stint with McVay & Co., he's more than proven he can still be a go-to option in an NFL team's passing game. 

Sure, you're likely going to have to deal with some baggage when you have Beckham suiting up for you. When he doesn't get the ball enough (or at least doesn't get the ball enough, in his eyes), you're going to hear about it. And when it happens, it's going to be a pain to deal with. 

But, at the end of the day, he's a difference-making receiver. He'd be a great complement to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and he'd make a huge impact on Detroit's passing attack. 

As crazy as it may sound, if I'm Lions general manager Brad Holmes, I'm pursuing OBJ this offseason.