When Odell Beckham Jr. was asked by a friend a few years ago about the idea of joining the Miami Dolphins, he mildly shrugged off the notion at the time.
But the veteran receiver entered this offseason and began talks with coach Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins about a possible union, and it didn’t take much convincing this time.
“Off the first meeting, I was just very excited about the opportunity,” Beckham said Wednesday, speaking for the first time since joining the Dolphins. “I remember getting off the phone with my agent and being like, ‘Yeah, this sounds good. Let’s figure out a way to do it.'”
The Dolphins signed Beckham to a one-year deal earlier this month. McDaniel is the one who sold him, laying out the details of how he’ll be used in Miami’s high-flying offense.
“It kind of reminds me of a place where I had a lot of success at as far as the Giants,” Beckham said, “and timing and all of those things that (McDaniel) talks about and preaches. He was speaking football. We sat down for hours and just talked football.”
Beckham, who quickly rose to NFL stardom after being drafted by the New York Giants in 2014, understands that he’s joining a loaded receiving group where he’ll be quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s third option behind speedy wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
He’s just fine with that.
“At this place in my life and my career, I haven’t been the No. 1 in a minute,” Beckham said. “You can go look at targets. You can go look at anything. That’s not really where I’ve been at.”
It’s a role that Beckham has learned to accept and appreciate during the twists and turns of his 10-year NFL career, one that began with one of the best rookie receiving seasons in NFL history but has waned in recent years because of major injuries.
“I feel like I used to carry a lot of anger or resentment,” Beckham said, “and now I just feel at peace. You’re able to train. You’re able to play the game that you love again.”
Beckham was a 1,000-yard receiver five times in his first…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/odell-beckham-jr-embracing-bench-role-with-miami-dolphins-i-havent-been-the-no-1-in-a-minute
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Publish date : 2024-05-16 01:45:10
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