Odell Beckham Jr.’s signing should give Dolphins a dangerous trio of receivers

The NFL was already on high alert because of the offensive weaponry the No. 1-ranked Miami Dolphins offense had last season, so just imagine what’s possible now that Odell Beckham Jr. has agreed to terms.

Beckham, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who has started 97 NFL games, plans to sign a one-year deal with the Dolphins that will pay him a base salary of $3 million, but features $5.25 million in incentives, according to a league source.

The Dolphins entered this week with just less than $4 million in cap space, and that was just enough to get the deal done before $18.5 million becomes available on June 1 for the release of Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard.

Once the deal is signed, and Beckham passes a physical, the 31-year-old will join a receiving group that features Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who last season accounted for 2,813 receiving yards and scored 17 touchdowns on 191 catches. And that’s despite collectively missing four games because each was slowed by ankle injuries in the final month of the season.

Beckham, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, visited the Dolphins early in free agency, but a deal was never consummated. And it was assumed that both sides had moved on, especially after Miami selected Malik Washington and Tahj Washington in the later rounds of the NFL 2024 Draft.

But it seemed as if Beckham, who was paid $16 million to be the team’s No. 3 receiver in Baltimore last season, never lost interest, and seemingly lowered his asking price.

The Dolphins need a possession receiver who can masquerade as a between-the-hashes target, and that’s exactly the role Beckham played last season for the Ravens, contributing 565 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the 35 receptions he pulled down in 16 games.

However, these days Beckham, who sat out a year of football rehabbing a knee injury in 2022. is more of a big name than a game-changer.

He was a 1,000-yard receiver five times in his nine seasons, but has spent the majority of the past seven years battling through serious injuries and fighting off rust.

Beckham, who has 566 career receptions for 7,932 yards and 60 touchdowns, could seamlessly fit into Miami’s offense because his skill set would allow him to attack the middle of the field.

As it stands, Braxton Berrios, River Cracraft, who were both re-signed this offseason, Erik Ezukanma, a 2022 fourth-round pick who was sidelined by a neck injury last year, Malik and Tahj Washington, the draftees, and Braylon Sanders and Anthony Schwartz, two youngsters who spent time on Miami’s practice squad last season, and now Beckham are competing to see who will round out the five- or six-player receiver unit behind Hill and Waddle.

Barry Jackson contributed to this report.