After less than three seasons with the Browns, Odell Beckham Jr.'s time in Cleveland is officially over. The Browns announced on Friday that Beckham will be released, which means he's soon going to be playing for another team.
Unfortunately for Beckham, though, he probably isn't going to get to pick his next team and that's because he has to clear waivers before he can become a free agent and it seems unlikely that a player of his caliber will end up clearing waivers.
If you're not familiar with how the waiver process works, it's pretty simple: Each team will have a chance to make a claim for Beckham and any team interested in adding him will have to make their claim by Monday.
The waiver order is basically like the draft: The worst team picks first and you go from there. Right now, the Lions, Texans and Dolphins currently have the top three spots in waiver order, which means they'll have the first crack at Beckham (If the Lions and Dolphins were to both put in a claim for Beckham, the Lions would get him since they have the higher waiver priority).
Although those three teams are at the top, it's hard to imagine any bad team wanting to add Beckham so if he gets claimed, it will probably be by a playoff contender.
With that in mind, we're going to rank the top 10 landing spots for Beckham based on where each team falls in the waiver order. In this ranking, the Seahawks are at the top because they have the highest waiver priority (If you want to see the full waiver order, be sure to click here).
Seahawks (waiver order: Ninth): Over the past few years, the Seahawks have desperately been looking to add another receiver. Not only did the Seahawks once sign Josh Gordon, but Russell Wilson once made it clear that he also wanted them to sign Antonio Brown, so you can bet he would be thrilled to get Beckham on his team. Also, it should be noted that Wilson's close friend Daniel Mogg, who is the co-host of Wilson's podcast, posted an old picture this week of Wilson hanging out with Beckham.
I'm guessing the timing of this picture isn't a coincidence. At 3-5, the Seahawks could definitely stand to make a splashy move and adding Beckham would definitely qualify. Also, with Wilson expected to be returning in Week 10, it would be a nice welcome-back present for him.
49ers (waiver order: 12th): The 49ers actually thought about trading for Odell back in 2019, but they weren't willing to give up the draft compensation it was going to take to get him from the Giants. Two years later, Odell might not be quite the same player, but the 49ers might be able to overlook that considering that they'll be getting him for free because they won't have to trade for him. Adding Odell to the 49ers' offense with Deebo Samuel would probably open things up for the run game, which is something Kyle Shanahan would probably like.
Colts (waiver order: 14th): Beckham might not be a good match for an emotional quarterback like Carson Wentz, but the Colts could definitely stand to add a receiving weapon right now. Michael Pittman currently leads the team with 658 receiving yards, but after that, no other player on the team even has 325 yards. If the Colts were to claim Beckham, that would give their air attack a much-needed boost.
Patriots (waiver order: 15th): If Bill Belichick has proven one thing in his coaching career, it's that he'll add any player if he thinks that player can help the team. Getting talented players on the cheap is Belichick's specialty and that's what he would be doing here with Beckham. Yes, the Patriots have plenty of receivers right now, but they don't have a clear-cut No. 1 guy and that's what Beckham would likely become.
Chiefs (waiver order: 18th): The high-powered Chiefs offense hasn't looked so high-powered this year. Patrick Mahomes has two big targets in Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, but after that, things get kind of dicey. Adding Beckham to this offense might be exactly what Kansas City needs to turn things around this year. The Chiefs have been searching far and wide for a No. 2 receiver behind Hill and that search would presumably end with the addition of Beckham.
Saints (waiver order: 23rd): If Beckham falls down this far on the waiver wire, it's hard to imagine him dropping any farther. For one, the Saints actually tried to make a deal for him before Tuesday's trade deadline, so we definitely know that they're interested. Also, with Michael Thomas now out for the season, the Saints could use a big-play threat like Beckham.
Raiders (waiver order: 26th): The Raiders have had to deal with a lot of drama over the past few weeks, so they might not want to add someone with Beckham's personality to the locker room, but he would certainly add a boost to a team that lost its biggest deep threat this week when Henry Ruggs III was released after being charged with DUI resulting in a death.
Packers (waiver order: 28th): When it comes to Green Bay's offense, it seems like the only thing anyone has been talking about recently is the fact that Aaron Rodgers hasn't had a true No. 2 receiver over the past few years. Adding Beckham would certainly fix that problem. The Packers aren't exactly known for making splashy moves, but they've proven that they'll listen to Rodgers -- they traded for Randall Cobb -- and if Rodgers asks them to claim Beckham, it will be interesting to see that they do.
Ravens (waiver order: 29th): Fans in Baltimore are clamoring for the Ravens to add Odell and it appears Lamar Jackson is also on board. The Ravens quarterback told the team's fans to let the organization know how much they want Odell.
I can’t do nothing for y’all @ the @ravens not meeee???????? I can’t do nothing
— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) November 5, 2021
The Ravens have a pretty good set of receivers with Marquise Brown, Rashod Batemand and Sammy Watkins, but two of those three guys have had trouble staying healthy. Not only would Beckham add some serious depth, but he would give the Ravens a strong one-two punch at the position.
Rams (waiver order: 30th): The only way the Rams are getting a crack at Beckham is if 29 other teams pass on him, which probably isn't going to happen. However, if that does happen, don't be surprised if they grab him. The Rams have already made it clear that they're all-in on 2021 and this is a team that has proven that it will pay any price to get a talented player, so you have to think they'll happily grab Beckham knowing they don't have to give up any draft picks
