This is a really weird signing.
The Minnesota Vikings are signing veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in one of the more eyebrow-raising moves we’ve seen in a while. Minnesota is sitting at 4-0 on the back of a phenomenal defense, but the team is struggling to move the ball through the air despite having Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings. This makes adding OBJ an extremely curious move, and one that could signal larger ramifications down the road.
At this point the Kyler Murray experiment has simply not gone well for the Vikings. Murray took care of the ball against the Dolphins in Week 4, but failed to throw for a single touchdown against a horrific Miami secondary — with him longest pass being a 27-yard completion and over-relying on tight end T.J. Hockenson to move chains.
What Minnesota really needs right now is a quarterback who can get something going, because neither Murray, nor Carson Wentz are the guys — especially if this team hopes to be making a playoff push. Beckham Jr. has a little left on the tires, but it’s difficult to see how he helps the Vikings’ passing game get better, unless this is part of a larger move.
It’s no surprise that No. 2 receiver Jordan Addison has been a thorn in Minnesota’s side, in spite of his ridiculous talent. The former 1st-round pick is unquestionably great on the field, flashing true 1,000 yard receiver potential in his rookie year — but since that point a confluence of off-field issues and quarterback instability has made him an afterthought in the offense. It’s here things get interesting if we put our GM hats on, because there are two contending teams that really need receiver help right now, and both of whom have backup quarterbacks that could entice the Vikings into making a deal.
First there’s the San Francisco 49ers. With Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk on IR the team doesn’t have anyone who can really stretch the field vertically. Their trio of weapons right now starts with tight end George Kittle, with both Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel being possession receivers at this point in their careers. The ability to add a downfield threat would help diversify the Niners’ offense, opening up more options for Brock Purdy, while ensuring teams can’t commit to shallow safeties to take away their short-to-intermediary routes.
Addison could be a potentially fascinating swap for Mac Jones, who proved last season that he still has starting potential in the NFL. The Vikings might be loathed to deal a starting receiver to another NFC team, but if it means fixing their QB position, well, it might be worth it.
The other team to watch is the Kansas City Chiefs. Tyquan Thornton’s devastating injury this past week, paired with Rashee Rice battling a hamstring injury, it opens the door for the team to add another pass catcher to the fold. This is a much iffier potential trade for Minnesota, but KC does have Justin Fields sitting on their bench. Field has been an inconsistent QB throughout his career, but the 27-year-old has enough talent and a big enough arm that he could finally unlock Justin Jefferson this season, which hasn’t been done up to this point.
In all likelihood, the addition of OBJ to the Vikings is simply adding some depth and trying to round out their receiver room, with Beckham Jr. having familiarity with the Sean McVay offense that Kevin O’Connell runs. Still, a team loaded at receiver adding another is enough to give pause, and imagine what could happen if this is the first domino to fall.