Eagles Gifted Perfect WR Signing After Former All-Pro's Sudden Release

Christmas has come early for the Philadelphia Eagles.

This is a team that has provided fans with a ton of reasons to be excited as the playoffs arrive. The momentum is completely different to what we saw in 2023, and FanDuel Sportsbook has Philly at No. 3 in the odds to win the Super Bowl (+550).

But it's no secret that there's still a glaring weakness on this team. Even if we ignore the recent drama, the wide receiver room is a ticking time bomb. DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown are as good a top duo as there is in the league, but if either of them gets banged up (or even has an off day), relying on Jahan Dotson and Johnny Wilson is the kind of thing that can lead to an untimely exit from the playoffs.

Enter Odell Beckham Jr.

Odell Beckahm Jr. is the Perfect Answer to Eagles' WR Concerns

It's easy to want to dunk on a seemingly washed-up star, especially when their breakout came for one of your division rivals. But Beckham has earned such a bad reputation among fans around the league that he's actually underrated at this point.

Consider that in 2023, just one season ago, he was the Baltimore Ravens' most efficient WR in terms of yards per target, and PFF had him graded out in the top 30 at the position leaguewide.

Did he suddenly fall off in 2024? Considering his lack of opportunity in Miami, where almost 90% of the passing targets have either gone to the top two wideouts of their backs and tight ends, it's hard to say. It's not like Beckham himself is the reason for that target distribution either, as it's not far off from the 83% mark Miami posted last year. It's just not an offense that will let a WR3 shine.

Could Beckham be a distraction? Sure, but the Eagles seem to have one of the strongest locker room cultures in the NFL, and even when WR drama is grabbing headlines, it doesn't impact the on-field performance. The upgrade Beckham would give this offense is worth the potential drama, at least for the short duration of a playoff run.

Consider, too, the other potential landing spots for Beckham. He'll almost surely be signing with a contender. The only two teams ahead of the Eagles in the Super Bowl odds (Lions at +280, Chiefs at +500) both need wide receiver help too, and would both make a lot of sense as a landing spot for Beckham.

So if the Eagles miss out on adding the former All-Pro it will not only mean they failed to upgrade a position of need, but that they potentially allowed their top competition to shore up a weakness of their own.

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