Odell Beckham Jr. to the Vikings? It might be a perfect fit

Before they return from their bye week, could the Minnesota Vikings add free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to their roster?

Last week, we discussed how the chances of free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. ending up with the Minnesota Vikings this season felt low.

The reasoning behind this assumption had to mostly do with the Vikings’ current lack of finances and their receiver depth being more than adequate.

It’s easy for many to brush aside the idea of Beckham signing with Minnesota in the near future. But there are multiple reasons why the Vikings might actually be the perfect landing spot for Beckham.

Minnesota Vikings could be what Odell Beckham Jr. is looking for

Whoever Beckham signs with this season, it’s likely going to be with a team that’s currently in good shape to contend for a Vince Lombardi trophy.

Right now, Minnesota has a 5-1 record, and they’re sitting in the No. 2 spot in the NFC. Their path to a championship this year is becoming more legitimate every week.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is someone who is very familiar with Beckham and his abilities since the two of them helped the Los Angeles Rams win a Super Bowl last season. The familiarity between the receiver and O’Connell is something that could allow the adjustment period in Minnesota to be shorter than it might be if he signed elsewhere.

Justin Jefferson would definitely welcome Beckham to Minnesota with open arms. Jefferson and the free-agent receiver are both LSU alums and they’ve maintained a connection since the Vikings pass-catcher entered the NFL in 2020.

Despite Minnesota’s depth at the receiver position, they might actually need Beckham’s help to run the offense that O’Connell wants. The new Vikings’ offensive scheme has been a mixed bag so far this year, but perhaps adding someone who has had success with similar concepts in the past like Beckham could help the unit get over the hump to reach its full potential.

Aside from Jefferson, Minnesota hasn’t really gotten the production out of their skill position players like Adam Thielen, K.J. Osborn, Irv Smith Jr., and Dalvin Cook like they thought they would heading into the season. The Vikings might have good depth, but it doesn’t really matter if they’re not executing the offense correctly out on the field.

Currently, Minnesota has less than $1 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.com. So if the Vikings are going to add a guy to their roster like Beckham, they’ll definitely have to shuffle some things around to create the necessary cap space.

Right now also feels like a perfect time for Minnesota to add a talent like Beckham to their roster. The Vikings have a bye week in Week 7, so the veteran receiver would have an extra week to adjust to his new team, and then Minnesota’s first two matchups after their bye, the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders, don’t exactly feature elite pass defenses.

Ideally, Beckham would be up to speed with everything by the Vikings’ Week 10 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. That game is the beginning of a tough four-game stretch that includes games against the Bills, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and New York Jets.

Minnesota would likely feel much better about their chances in these four matchups if they were able to add Beckham to their roster beforehand. The Vikings would also feel much better about their championship chances this season if they ended up being able to convince the former Offensive Rookie of the Year to sign with them.