MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Odell Beckham Jr. understood the assignment. In his first news conference since signing with the Miami Dolphins, Beckham was pure Miami Vice.
The white suit. The chic glasses. The gold.
He absolutely looked the part.
The bigger question: Can Beckham fit in just as seamlessly in a Dolphins offense that already has more stars than the Milky Way?
Miami Dolphins’ Odell Beckham Meets the Press
Beckham insists ego will not be a concern. Fatherhood and some brutal luck have matured him. He no longer needs to be the alpha.
“I haven’t been the No. 1 in a minute,” said Beckham, who has five 1,000-yard seasons in his career, but none since 2019.
“You could go look at targets, you can go look at anything. That’s not really where I’ve been at. So just understanding your role and how can you be the very best at that role, maximize those opportunities? Don’t look for more or less. Like just stay within that present moment. And I think you’ll find a way to succeed.”
New Miami Dolphins WR Odell Beckham Jr. pic.twitter.com/JpwXRwwD58
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) May 15, 2024
So what will that role be in Mike McDaniel’s offense?
Beckham didn’t get into specifics, but he made clear that he’s comfortable with how McDaniel plans to use him after an hours-long film session — presumably during OBJ’s March free agent visit to Dolphins HQ.
“Coach and I were talking about it, on third down, [Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle] were getting a lot of doubling — both of them,” Beckham said. “There’s just a lot of room for opportunity looking at it, I think that’ll be a great matchup. I think we all have different skill sets, [but] all the same skills in one — all people will make plays. I’m just looking for an opportunity.”
While Beckham has lined up at all three receiver positions in his NFL career, he’s largely played the X. Could we see him working more out of the slot in Miami?
“I don’t mind getting in there,” Beckham said. “I don’t feel like I’ve actually had an opportunity to play in the slot much. And it’s just such a different game in there.
“And I think that, you know, you got Jaylen and Tyreek, who guys are gonna focus on so much that there’s room for opportunity. Like I said, when I really sat down and watched the film, and I understood what coach was talking about. I think I just along with him, I see something that other people aren’t seeing at the moment.”
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Between Beckham and Hill, the Dolphins now have two of the NFL’s biggest stars at any position in the same receiver room. Both have larger-than-life personas. And yet, they haven’t had much of a relationship up to now.
“We’ve connected a few times,” Beckham said. “I can’t say that, you know, we’re best friends or anything like that. [But] just from speaking to him, I could tell that he loves football. I could tell he cares about his craft. He cares to be great. He’s a good person, competitor. So I’m excited to be in that room. I’m excited to be with somebody who is great, be around greatness, and someone who’s definitely gonna be able to push me.”