Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson reportedly recruited receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to Baltimore. Now that Beckham has signed, the question becomes whether he will recruit Jackson.
With the Ravens previously unable to resolve the Lamar situation, overpaying Beckham could be the answer. Having him on the roster. Having him in the locker room. Having him on the practice field.
How can Jackson justify trying to get OBJ to Baltimore if, once Beckham arrives, Jackson isn’t there?
It might not matter for the offseason program. Beckham has a history of working out on his own, for significant chunks of the offseason. But if he’s there, how can Jackson not be?
That might be what the Ravens are hoping for. Beckham becomes a magnet that pulls Jackson in. That gets him to agree to terms. That solves a problem that has lingered for more than two years.
On the surface, Lamar the agent could be (should be) upset that the Ravens handed so much money to an aging receiver with an injury history and no prior service in Baltimore, especially since Jackson hasn’t been able to get the contract he deserves. But Lamar the agent doesn’t operate like a normal agent. He’s far more likely to be impressed by the fact that the team displayed its commitment to him by adding Beckham, even if those dollars could have gone to Jackson.
Maybe at some point Beckham will become a liaison between Jackson and the Ravens. That would be unusual and irregular, but everything about this relationship has been unusual and irregular. Maybe the Ravens, by making an unusual and irregular investment in Beckham, have decided to go well beyond the box in order to get a deal done.
For now, the bet news for the Ravens is that, even though Jackson has asked to be traded, he apparently has not slammed the door on staying put. Otherwise, why bother to recruit OBJ to town?
