The Los Angeles Rams want to know. If you didn’t know it yet, you know it now at the latest. Because they are filling the small gap at wide receiver with Odell Beckham Jr. But does that fit?

Munich – Unusual news requires unusual reactions. That’s why no one less than the “King” himself came forward when the spectacular deal was finally fixed.

OBJ in LA – “Time to get going “

“Welcome to LA my brother OBJ. Time to get going,” wrote NBA superstar LeBron James. So among colleagues, among superstars. And among neighbours, as a welcome from the Los Angeles Lakers over to the Los Angeles Rams.

Welcome to LA my brother @obj! It’s GO TIME!!

– LeBron James (@KingJames) November 11, 2021

Because Odell Beckham Jr. is going to the Rams as a free agent, the Rams are once again making a splash. True, it’s forbidden to write about “all in” for the umpteenth time when it comes to the Los Angeles Rams and short-term targets.

But of course that is exactly what the Rams are doing: they are betting everything on the Super Bowl. The Rams currently have a 7-2 record, and in Week 10 they will play the San Francisco 49ers in the Monday Night Game.

Most recently, the Rams put an exclamation mark on their record with the spectacular trade of Von Miller, who is supposed to strengthen the defence, and before that with the signing of quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Beckham as luxury solution

Now OBJ, who is something of a luxury solution, one with a risk factor that should not be underestimated. Because you can’t argue that the Rams are weak at the wide receiver position. Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Van Jefferson are the starting pass receivers, and Kupp and Woods in particular are in top form.

Kupp stands at 1,019 yards and ten touchdowns, Woods at 556 yards and four touchdowns and Jefferson at 433 yards and three touchdowns, plus tight end Tyler Higbee with 324 yards and two touchdowns – the Rams had DeSean Jackson in the backfield, but he wanted to leave and is now replacing OBJ. The offense is third in the league in yards per game.

The question remains how coach Sean McVay will use his new superstar.

Because Odell Beckham Jr. undoubtedly brings glamour, a certain bling-bling attitude, but as an extroverted self-promoter he also brings plenty of drama to Hollywood. No question: a fit OBJ is a bull’s eye for the Rams, a new ace in the all-in sleeve. He can theoretically carry an entire offence. Which, given the quality available, he doesn’t have to in the first place.

Unconvincing, but complicated

But it’s also a fact that Beckham hasn’t really been convincing with the Cleveland Browns in recent years, which was due to injuries such as the cruciate ligament rupture in the 2020 season, as well as the lack of chemistry between him and quarterback Baker Mayfield, but possibly also OBJ himself. The Rams are his chance to regain momentum in his career, to regain his credentials. He should be highly motivated to show his critics. The number has grown in recent years.

From a purely sporting point of view, the deal is still a win-win situation, because if OBJ comes off half as well as he used to, the Rams will have a lot of fun with their new receiver. If not, the risk is manageable due to the short time frame of the deal.

More of a problem is the human element.

What does OBJ hope to achieve?

Because what also gets in Beckham’s way is his not so easy character. The 29-year-old is considered headstrong, difficult.

One question, therefore, is what role OBJ himself hopes to play with the Rams. He will want a lot of playing time, to be the centre of attention. Early media are already speculating in extremes – either, the offense explodes, or the receiver room implodes.

Ex-teammate John Johnson III knows the Rams, for whom he played until 2020. He’s skeptical about the move to LA. That’s because he stresses to the Cleveland Plain Dealer that the offense runs through Cooper Kupp.

“Everything runs through Cooper Kupp. Odell a big name. He’s going to want that attention, too. It’s going to be interesting. Coach [Sean] McVay is one of the best. I know he’ll find a way to make it work,” he said, “I wouldn’t really want to go there if I were him. But we’ll see how it goes. “

Packers in the draw too

I guess OBJ wasn’t completely sure either.

In the end, there was brief confusion surrounding his switch, as the Green Bay Packers were also still in the draw, OBJ wavered. Whether he and the Rams are indeed a fit will – no, must – become clear pretty quickly. Antonio Brown showed how to seize a new opportunity as a difficult character last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The former scandal noodle got his act together, fitted in and provided highlights at points on the way to a Super Bowl victory. That’s exactly what the Rams will want from OBJ.

No question about it: it’s time for him to finally get going.