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Cleveland Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is expected to be waived on Monday, putting a significant talent on the waiver wire. With the Detroit Lions currently owning the top priority in the waiver wire, many have wondered if they would put in a claim, essentially awarding them Beckham for the remainder of the year.
But Lions head coach Dan Campbell shut down that possibility during his Monday afternoon Zoom conference. When asked if the team would be interested in adding Beckham, Campbell was short and concise.
“No,” Campbell said.
The Lions do have a big need at receiver. With Tyrell Williams now waived with an injury settlement—a mutual decision, per Campbell—the Lions have just Kalif Raymond, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Trinity Benson, KhaDarel Hodge, Geronimo Allison, and Tom Kennedy on the roster. While they’ve gotten decent production out of Raymond (26 catches, 337 yards) and St. Brown (27 catches, 250 yards), the other four receivers have combined for just 13 catches and 121 yards.
But Beckham would come with a lot of baggage, both literal and metaphorical. The two biggest hurdles are price and personality fit. Beckham comes with a $7.25 million salary the Lions would have to inherit, and they don’t currently have the cap space to do that. Additionally, Beckham has reportedly told teams that he wants to play for a contender, meaning he could simply refuse to play if the Lions claimed him.
Campbell also made it clear that this wasn’t much of a debate, noting that he and general manager Brad Holmes were on the same page.
“Brad and I talk about everything, and he was no different. I would leave it at that,” Campbell said. “Our ears and our eyes are open to everything, and if there was a certain way to make things work, we’d be open for just about any player if it made sense.”
The Lions’ disinterest isn’t much of a surprise, and they aren’t alone. Both Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter have suggested that it is “unlikely” Beckham is claimed by anyone.
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