Cowboys Rumors: Has new favorite emerged to sign Odell Beckham Jr.?
By Jerry Trotta
The Dallas Cowboys figure to be players in the wide receiver market this offseason. Free agency is now less than a month away, so the front office has hopefully started the process of evaluating this year’s class and which players fit best in Mike McCarthy’s system, and as a complement to superstar CeeDee Lamb.
If the 2022 season taught us anything, it’s that Cowboys fans should brace themselves for more Odell Beckham Jr. talk.
The former All-Pro didn’t play at all this past campaign as he recovered from a torn ACL suffered in the Super Bowl as a member of the Rams. Beckham was heavily pursued by Dallas, and an agreement felt inevitable before the team publicized concerns about his physical and talks were postponed.
Now, Beckham is arguably the top wideout available in what is an admittedly uninspiring class of free agents. There should be a strong market for the veteran, and it’ll be interesting to see which teams become the frontrunners for his signature between now and the start of free agency.
The Cowboys should be at the top of the list of interested teams, but Buffalo may be the new favorites after their latest coaching hire.
The #Bills are hiring veteran WR coach Adam Henry, per source. Henry, who has coached at LSU and with five NFL teams, most recently was Indiana’s co-OC/WR coach.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 15, 2023
Are the Bills the favorites to sign Odell Beckham Jr. over the Cowboys after they hired Adam Henry as WRs coach?
If Henry’s name rings a bell, you may recall him serving as the Cowboys’ receivers coach for the 2020 and ’21 seasons. Henry spent 2022 in the college ranks serving as Indiana’s co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach.
On top of a wealth of experience and knowledge, Henry brings a long-standing relationship with Beckham to Orchard Park. In fact, Henry and Beckham have crossed paths three different times in their coaching and playing careers.
Henry coached Beckham at LSU as the Tigers’ receivers coach. Fast forward to 2016, two years after the Giants made OBJ the No. 12 overall pick, and Henry joined New York as their receivers coach. Incredibly, Beckham and Henry linked up again in 2018 after Henry was hired as the Browns’ wideout whisperer.
Beckham would ultimately choose Buffalo for the chance to compete for a championship while catching spirals from Josh Allen and playing next to Stefon Diggs, but his familiarity with Henry will undoubtedly play a role in the recruiting process.
That’s interesting. Adam Henry is — besides being a very good coach — close with Odell Beckham Jr. https://t.co/3kOVZJfZ7L
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 15, 2023
That is, if the Bills (like the Cowboys) revisit their interest in Beckham.
Back in December, Beckham took a free agent visit in Buffalo, and Bills general manager Brandon Beane has spoken glowingly about the player at every turn.
If hiring Henry doesn’t make Buffalo the “favorites” to sign Beckham, it certainly makes them Dallas’ foremost competition to sign the three-time Pro Bowler. Buffalo’s need for a No. 2 receiver goes without saying, and they were one of a few teams who sowed interest in Odell in 2022.
Let the bidding begin.
