Ravens' new WR Odell Beckham Jr. reports to minicamp: 'I feel good'

BALTIMORE - Odell Beckham Jr., one of the Ravens' newest offensive weapons, reported Tuesday to the team's mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills.

He spoke with the media wearing a Baltimore Orioles' City Connect hat.

"I've heard a lot of great things about (Baltimore)," Beckham said. "Jameel McClain and I played together for the last year with the Giants and he was telling me, 'You will love it. You will love the city.' I don't want to say that I am an Orioles fan because I have a team of my own, but I'm excited and want to go to a game and check out the environment and fully embrace where I am at. That's something I've learned over this process, and that's to be present and stay in the moment."

This minicamp is the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver's first organized team practice since he tore his ACL in the Super Bowl in 2022 with the Los Angeles Rams. 

Beckham missed all of last year recovering from his knee injury. He injured his knee the previous season with Cleveland.

"How I keep perspective, hopefully, I get another opportunity to do that. Life happens to you and has to keep rolling with the flow of it and we live and we learn," he said.

Ravens' head coach John Harbaugh said Beckham will be a "full go" in practice, in terms of his health, but he will be slowly ramping in reps. 

"We are going to ramp up a lot of our guys," Harbaugh said. "I'm not going to be in a hurry to rush guys out there. We want them to learn the offense. It's going to be a see-as-we-go, take a few reps and see how he and the other guys feel."

Beckham said on Tuesday he didn't know how much he was going to participate on the field during the minicamp.

Training camp starts in late July.

"I'm just coming in here with a mindset that we are all professionals and just get back to having fun, learn the playbook," Beckham said. "I think the focus is just to have fun, stay locked in and be a pro."

Beckham, who has shared social media posts of himself training, said he is feeling good, although, he is likely to ease his way back through the offseason.

"I feel good. It feels good to get out of bed and not feel pain," Beckham said. "It feels good that if I need to take off running right now, I can take off running. it has been a long journey this time around."

Beckham said battling back-to-back devastating knee injuries allowed him time to learn and grow as a person.

"When it first happened, I wasn't in the best of places to even think about playing football, especially after I just did that and then got back on the horse and it happens at the worst moment," he said. "I've been doubted all my life. I know what I can do."

Harbaugh said every player reported to Ravens' mandatory minicamp which continues through Thursday.

But Beckham, who was introduced as a Raven in April, was one of a few who missed the voluntary organized team activities.

He is joining the team with quarterback Lamar Jackson, who signed a mega extension this offseason, and new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

Beckham said he plans on training with Jackson in South Florida between minicamp and training camp.

"Chemistry is going to develop over time," Beckham said. "We will have plenty of time. The most important thing is getting ready for the season coming up in September. I think being here and being around the guys, being around your brothers and getting to know people, just be a pro."

Beckham signed a one-year contract with the Ravens worth up to $18 million.

Beckham, 30, enters his ninth NFL season. He was originally selected by the New York Giants in the first round (12th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft.

"I've been trying to not think about it so much because there have been so many disappointments," Beckham said. "I've been in a good mental head space to where I've tried to downplay this. But I think I will be excited to be able to put a jersey on and do what I've done my whole life."

Beckham also played for the Cleveland Browns and the Rams.

Over his career, he has 7,367 receiving yards with 56 touchdowns. 

Beckham will be looked at as a leader in the wide receiver room that includes five former first-round draft picks - Beckham, Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor, Loquan Treadwell and Rashod Bateman.

"Guys come up to you and say, 'I watched you in middle school,' and that just makes you feel old," Beckham said. "I think I know what my role will be as far as coming out and being able to show it every day and being able to lead. A good leader has to be a good follower so being able to be there for these guys. We are all here to learn and I am excited about that room. There's a lot of talent in that room. There's going to be a lot of competition for spots."