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About the Author: Scott Reynolds
Latest Bucs Headlines
The Bucs haven’t had much luck at the wide receiver position this year in free agency, but that may not keep the team from trying again.
Buffalo Bills ESPN reporter Alaina Getzenberg is reporting that Tampa Bay is one of the teams that veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is considering signing with. The 29-year old receiver is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in Super Bowl LVI. His recovery is on schedule and he should be able to return to action after Thanksgiving to help an NFL team down the stretch and in the playoffs.
One of those teams Beckham is interested in is the Bucs, according to his former teammate, Bills edge rusher Von Miller.
Von Miller said that he talks to Odell Beckham Jr. every week and that he’s sure the WR could see himself fitting in with the Bills.
Miller said OBJ “is going on tour now. He’s going to Giants practice facility, and the Saints, Tampa, and all that stuff, which you should.”
— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) October 5, 2022
Former Rams WR Odell Beckham Jr. – Photo by: USA Today
Miller played together with Beckham in Los Angeles last year and has been courting the star receiver to become a member of the Bills. The other teams that Beckham will be visiting on his free agent tour include the Giants, the team that drafted him in 2014, the Saints and the Bucs. Beckham, who played collegiately at LSU was in New Orleans in Week 2 to see the Bucs prevail, 20-10, over the Saints. Bucs quarterback Tom Brady and Beckham are friends off the field.
Last year, NFL insider Jeff Darlington reported that Beckham has said he would like to be teammates with Brady would “like to play together at some point.”
Beckham was traded from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams last year and finished the season with 44 catches for 537 yards (12.2 avg.) and five touchdowns. He added 21 catches for 288 yards (13.7 avg.) and two touchdowns in the postseason, including three catches for 52 yards and a touchdown against Cincinnati before his injury in Super Bowl LVI. Beckham caught six passes for 69 yards against the Bucs in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.
Bucs Free Agent WRs Haven’t Paid Off – Yet
Tampa Bay signed veteran receivers Russell Gage and Julio Jones this offseason. Neither has made a big impact with the Bucs so far. Gage signed a three-year deal worth $10 million per season and has caught 21 passes for 152 yards (7.2 avg.) and one touchdown. Most of his production came in Week 3 in a 14-12 loss to Green Bay where Gage caught 12 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. The 26-year old receiver has been battling a hamstring injury since training camp.
The Bucs signed Jones to a one-year, $6 million contract at the start of training camp. Jones got off to a good start in a Week 1 at Dallas with three catches for 69 yards, in addition to two carries for 17 yards. But at age 33, his recent troubles with staying healthy reared up again – this time in Tampa.
Jones suffered a knee injury in the season opener and missed two games before returning to action against Kansas City on Sunday night. Jones played in the first half before his knee started to give him trouble again. He caught one of two passes thrown his way for seven yards against the Chiefs.
The Bucs recently added another veteran in 33-year old Cole Beasley, but he retired on Wednesday after being ineffective in two games.
In 2020, the Bucs added veteran receiver Antonio Brown midway through the season. Brown helped Tampa Bay advance to and win Super Bowl LV.
