The Baltimore Ravens are making a statement to their rivals by signing star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The deal for the 30-year-old seems all the more valuable in light of his hoped-for reconciliation with quarterback Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson throws deep and finds the completely free Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone.

It’s a phrase the Baltimore Ravens camp would love to hear on a weekly basis this upcoming season.

By signing the star receiver, the Ravens are making a statement to the competition and securing one of the biggest names remaining in Free Agency.

The path taken seems clear: Baltimore closes a big roster spot with the admittedly expensive signing and wants to attack at the top.

In a best-case scenario, however, OBJ’s return to the NFL after a one-year injury layoff could do much more for the franchise’s plans.

Baltimore Ravens: Deal with Odell Beckham Jr. should appease Lamar Jackson

You’d think that by signing the 2021 Super Bowl winner, the Ravens would also want to figuratively extend an olive branch as a sign of reconciliation to their quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is actually sitting on packed suitcases.

The ex-MVP felt screwed after months without an agreement on a long-term deal and the oversight of the non-exclusive franchise tag. Jackson called for a trade but was met with no real enthusiasm from other franchises with his demands.

“My dream is to help a team win the Super Bowl,” Jackson wrote about it on social media. Ravens president Sashi Brown then stressed that the team was in contact with Jackson and was “committed to trying to make something happen”.

The signing of “OBJ” now suggests that Baltimore is really doing everything possible to appease its own star quarterback and further strengthen the team around him. After all, the franchise has lacked a true number one receiver for several years now.

“CBS Sports” insider Josina Anderson underlines this point of view with the report that Baltimore’s owner Steve Bisciotti is said to have been in contact with Beckham Jr. more frequently this offseason. The 63-year-old apparently repeatedly “pitched the idea of coming to Baltimore, the support he would have with the team and the need to get things in line with Lamar Jackson as well” to the classy pass receiver.

And so, in a best-case scenario, the Ravens’ star receiver deal kills two birds with one stone.

Baltimore Ravens: Agreement with Lamar Jackson to follow “OBJ” deal

Jackson is a big proponent of signing Beckham Jr. At least that’s what his initial reaction to the hammer deal suggests. The 26-year-old posted a screenshot of a video call with the star receiver.

Beckham Jr. and Jackson are said to have been in regular communication with each other for weeks and to have discussed a future together. The potential for a joint title run seems too tempting.

That the playmaker could sit out the season in a contract dispute, as recently feared, now seems increasingly unlikely.

Even if, unlike OBJ, the star quarterback is still waiting for what he so eagerly seeks: his payday and, above all, early planning security.

The ball is now once again in the Ravens’ court to take the next step forward after the coup and not let the investment in the noble pass receiver come to nothing.

Because even after the signing of the non-exclusive franchise tag by their playmaker, the franchise would still have until mid-July to come to a long-term agreement with Jackson after all.