Odell Beckham Jr. gets Ravens welcome and a red-carpet reception
BALTIMORE -- Odell Beckham Jr. arrived in Baltimore on a private jet and received a Ravens' red carpet entrance worthy of an NFL superstar.
OBJ is at a high level of all-time talent, and he has the resume and salary to prove it.
His introductory press conference at the Ravens facility had everything but confetti and balloons dropping from the ceiling.
"This is an exciting move for us," Head coach John Harbaugh told WJZ's Mark Viviano. "It's a big move for us."
Give the Ravens and Ravens fans this moment; they deserve it.
In the ongoing months of negative publicity and rancor over the contract impasse with quarterback Lamar Jackson and his now-public request to be traded, Baltimore yearned for something to celebrate. Party on.
Unfortunately, like most parties, once the cleaning crew sweeps up the confetti, real life sets in.
For the Ravens, the reality remains: Lamar Jackson is still unsigned and OBJ's ability to play after knee surgery and a missed season is still unknown.
The potentially lethal combo of the MVP quarterback and all-pro wide receiver could currently be labeled "hope and a prayer."
Odell Beckham Jr. appears to grasp that reality, which was clear when he answered questions at his press conference about the likelihood of whether he'll play with Jackson.
"Life is uncertain; I think that we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, the next day," he said.
OBJ is optimistic about his knee surgery recovery, too.
"I have plenty of confidence," he said. "It's just time to get to work, and I'm excited about that."
It's hard to bet against him.
The Ravens are wagering $15 million that OBJ is the star receiver he once was. He's the highest-paid wide receiver in team history.
Meanwhile, the Ravens are trying to make Jackson the highest-paid quarterback in team history, and it's yet to be determined if that will happen or if Jackson will get his wish of a trade to another team.
Eric DeCosta, the general manager of the Ravens, continues to maintain his overwhelmingly positive stance on the subject.
"Lamar is in our plans; we love Lamar," he said. "Our feelings about Lamar have not changed one bit since the end of the season. We're hopeful, still, that we'll get a long-term deal done."
The Baltimore Ravens are living on hope and a prayer, but don't think for a moment that the Ravens are engaged in blind hope.
It would be wise to see the OBJ excitement and Lamar Jackson optimism as part of a contingent franchise strategy.
Sure, the Ravens hope the receiver is healthy and productive, and the team prays that the quarterback is willing to sign for many years, but it's positioning for the possibility that one or both may not occur.
The Beckham signing gives the Ravens an instant jolt of good publicity and positive buzz.
Whether Jackson is the quarterback or not, the Ravens team store will be stocked with #3 OBJ jerseys, which will likely be big sellers.
As far as Jackson's future goes, the acquisition of OBJ may entice Lamar to play this coming season in Baltimore for the $32 million non-exclusive free-agent salary he's scheduled to get—short of agreeing to a long-term deal.
Also, still at play is the possibility that another team emerges with a trade offer to get Jackson from the Ravens in a swap that's loaded with high draft picks. That's an offer the Ravens can't refuse.
If that should happen, or even if it doesn't, don't be surprised if the team seeks out its next quarterback in this year's draft.
It's April. The Ravens don't play a meaningful game for five months. There is more that we don't know about what's ahead for Odell Beckham Jr. and Lamar Jackson than what we do know.
It's springtime in Baltimore, and hope springs eternal—hope and a prayer.