For anyone who’s watched the Baltimore Ravens play in the past two or three seasons, a glaring deficit has been apparent: quarterback Lamar Jackson is a phenomenal player, capable of carrying the Ravens’ offense to the playoffs almost by himself… but he’s still being asked to do too much, and with a dearth of talent around him, he needs better offensive weapons in order to unleash his full potential.
The Ravens took steps to address this issue in the offseason, picking up Boston College receiver Zay Flowers with their first round pick and signing another former top pick, Odell Beckham Jr., in free agency.
OBJ, as he is popularly known, has a track record that speaks volumes about his talent and performances over the years. He was the 12th overall pick in the 2014 draft. Beckham quickly made a name for himself after making a spectacular one-handed catch for a touchdown in a prime time game against the Dallas Cowboys, with the act of making a one-handed catch becoming known as an “Odell” in the same way that anyone shooting a basketball from downtown would cry out the eponymous “Kobe!” OBJ’s performance in his first year in the pros earned him the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. With more than 1,300 receiving yards in each of his initial three seasons, OBJ consistently reminded the world of his skills. In 2021, he secured his first Super Bowl victory with the Los Angeles Rams, and was on track for a performance that would’ve won him the Super Bowl MVP award had he not blown out his knee in the first half of the game in a stroke of terrible luck.
With the addition of Beckham and a brand new contract for Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, that made him the highest paid player per year in league history, the Ravens have the eighth best odds (+2000) to win Super Bowl LVIII this season at DraftKings Sportsbook: be sure to use a Draftkings Maryland promo code if you want to bet on the Ravens, the NFL, or any other team or league this season so that you know you’re locking in the best possible odds of winning big.
Here’s a look at how OBJ will impact the Ravens’ offense, and what you can expect to see from them this season.
The Ravens began the offseason by parting ways with longtime offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who they promoted to the role ahead of the 2019 season in the hopes that his run-heavy brand would help unlock Jackson’s ability as a dynamic two-way threat.
While the move worked to an extent, winning Jackson a unanimous MVP award in his first full season as a starter, Roman’s philosophy grew stale pretty fast as the Ravens struggled to win in the playoffs, often because of offensive futility. Now that they have offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who trends the opposite way with a pass-heavy attack, we’ll get a chance to see Jackson’s full potential as a passer.
In previous seasons, Jackson’s development was also stunted by a lack of receiving threats around him. Beckham is 30 years old now and hasn’t played in any games since the Super Bowl when he blew his knee out, so it’s wise to pump the brakes if you’re expecting him to light it up out of the gate—although 18 months on the sideline could’ve given him an excellent opportunity to reset after being plagued with nagging injuries for the past few seasons.
He has excellent hands—but can suffer from concentration issues at times—and is an incredible athlete who can get open for Jackson to all areas of the field. When they’re at their best, Jackson and Beckham are two of the most exciting players on the football field. Stay tuned to see the magic happen as they build a rapport this season.
