Mike McDaniel recognizes how special having Odell Beckham Jr. as part of his receiving corps could be with the Miami Dolphins.
The franchise agreed to a 1-year, $3M deal with Beckham Jr. earlier this offseason, with incentives that can push it up to $8.25M. Now, the media and fans of the team alike are chomping at the bit to see him on the field, but McDaniel and company aren’t going to rush things with their new wide receiver.
“So the head to toe came for him has worked well. You guys haven’t seen him,” McDaniel said sarcastically, joking about Beckham Jr.’s appearances at Dolphins’ camp. “He’s been right in the middle of the field. No, I think these are always funny. Everybody’s excited to see players when they first get here, specially, and a player of that caliber. Everybody’s pumped up. But schematically, what we try to do, is learn the player, and adjust to their — develop a relationship with them, and adjust to their body and their timeline. So we can have the most beneficial, communicative relationship, with maintaining health.
“Long story short, the working into playing with the Miami Dolphins? You know, between myself and Kyle, we decided that you guys were going to have to wait, you know. But that’s just do to the individual process, that we’re very consistent with, when new guys come to the team. We take nothing of assumption, and make sure that when guys are on the field, there’s no setbacks, and we’re obviously applying that.”
Alas, it seems as if the Dolphins are taking a cautious approach with Beckham Jr. for 2024. That’s a sound strategy, as it’s not like he’s their WR1 entering the season, and it could be conducive to an effective season for the wide receiver.
Moreover, Beckham Jr. has been in the NFL since being selected by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year that season after catching 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Beckham has also played for the Browns, Rams and Ravens during his NFL career. He spent last season in Baltimore, catching 35 passes for 565 yards and three scores, and helping the team to the AFC Championship Game.
Continuing, the 31-year-old Beckham was once of the best receivers in the country at LSU, before turning pro. He was named an All-American during his final season of college football in 2013 after catching 59 passes for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns.
As for his NFL career, Odell Beckham Jr. has been named to the Pro Bowl three times and has earned a pair of all-pro honors. Additionally, Beckham helped the Rams to a Super Bowl win in Super Bowl LVI, catching two passes for 52 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with an injury.
Time will tell if the Dolphins are a team where he’ll flourish, or if Odell Beckham Jr.’s entering the finale of his time in the NFL. Regardless, Miami is happy to have him on their team, and it’ll be a fascinating mix in 2024.
On3’s Matt Connolly contributed to this article.
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