NFL Rumors: 'No Momentum' on Lamar Jackson Contract as Odell Beckham Jr. Joins Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens turned heads Sunday when they announced they agreed to a one-year deal with wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and then shared an image of him FaceTiming with quarterback Lamar Jackson:

As it turns out, there is reportedly still plenty of work to do when it comes to making sure Jackson will be throwing OBJ the ball in 2023.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler appeared on SportsCenter and discussed the notion that bringing in Beckham will help Baltimore keep its signal-caller. He notably said there is "still no momentum" even though the team hopes the latest signing will help:

"The Ravens hope so. I spoke to somebody in the building who said that maybe this will help move things along with Lamar. As far as I know, there's no clarity on Lamar Jackson's situation. People I'm talking to believe that there's still no momentum on his contractual front. But the Ravens, they can give a little nudge here and say, 'Hey, when you want to sign that franchise tag tender, if you want to sign it, or if we can work something out where you're a Raven next year, we got you some help on the outside.' Odell Beckham Jr. and Lamar Jackson had a pre-existing relationship, certainly Beckham might know something that everybody else doesn't as far as Lamar Jackson's plans because they were FaceTiming last night and have probably talked in the past. And so, meanwhile, the Ravens have been in full contingency mode trying to find quarterback help not knowing what Lamar was going to do. So, they're still looking at draft options, but maybe this is a good sign."

Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson this offseason, which allows him to negotiate with other teams but gives the Ravens the opportunity to match any offer. If they opt not to match an offer, they will receive two first-round picks in exchange for Jackson's departure.

Jackson revealed on March 27 that he requested a trade on March 2 because Baltimore "has not been interested in meeting my value."

Perhaps adding a playmaker like Beckham could help change his mind about the only NFL team he has ever known.

There was a time when the LSU product was one of the best wide receivers in the league. His Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2014 was the first of three straight Pro Bowl seasons in which he topped 1,300 receiving yards and finished with double-digit touchdown catches.

Still, there are plenty of question marks. He missed the 2022 season as he recovered from a torn ACL, and he struggled during his time on the Cleveland Browns from 2019-2021. Beckham seemed to be turning things around with the Los Angeles Rams when he helped them win a Lombardi Trophy after joining the team via trade in 2021, but he suffered his ACL injury during the second quarter of Super Bowl 56.

That didn't stop the Ravens from giving him a one-year, $15 million deal that could rise to $18 million in incentives, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Wide receiver was a glaring position of need. ESPN's Jamison Hensley noted the Ravens have finished last in the league in receiving yards from wide receivers in three of the past four years, and a group of Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Devin Duvernay and Tylan Wallace doesn't project to offer a major spike.

Jackson surely sees the need for improvement at the position and will likely welcome Beckham's addition if he ultimately returns to Baltimore.

But it remains to be seen whether he will at this point.