New York Jets and Odell Beckham Jr.: The wrong man at the wrong time

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is the wrong man at the wrong time for the New York Jets. Wednesday's conference call (quarantine edition) featured much of the same. Joe Douglas hopped on the call---from home with his kids running around---to preach the same message. Value is important. The market dictates final terms. Depth is key. Talent evaluation is king. Competition is crucial. While every point is meaningful when looking to kickstart a football program, the New York Jets general manager reaffirmed his top goal. "The plan is the same: to create the best culture in sports and that involves bringing in the right people," Douglas said. https://twitter.com/RobbySabo/status/1245429321956761605 If Douglas truly believes what he preaches, Odell Beckham Jr. is the wrong man at the wrong time for this organization. Culture. What does it even mean? To some, winning creates culture. To others, culture helps bread victories. To all NFL fans, OBJ means a variety of things and "culture" plays an important part in the discussion. It all started in mid-to-late February when Kristian Dyer of Maven reported a source calling the Jets an "ideal landing spot" for Beckham should the Cleveland Browns look to move him. Who knows the legitimacy level of the report. It was one that came and went without much supporting evidence. In an OBJ world, it makes sense. In a Jets media world, it makes sense. In Joe Douglas's world, the notion contrasts in-full. Not a Culture Guy Save for the few remaining OBJ defenders who'll go to war for the guy in the face of silly odds, the majority of the football landscape understands Beckham is a negative when thinking culture. From taking a dog-like piss in the end zone to enjoying relations with the kicking net, the man doesn't showcase a team-first attitude. Everything and anything he pushed towards the Giants organization, he eventually got away with (prior to the Dave Gettleman trade that put an end to it all). No culture-right guy brings Lil' Wayne to SportsCenter for an interview while muddying his future after signing a long-term deal. Sorry folks; any player who tells other teams to "come and get me" while playing for his current team is a guy the majority of general managers would want to stay away from with a 10-football pole. The Giants lost miserably with and without the man. This isn't the NBA. It isn't a superstar league; it's a value-driven, cap-strategic, depth league. He's Not Young Anymore Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Right? Mike Maccagnan's star-driven free agency period a year ago was a mistake. Not only is Le'Veon Bell a man who needs time to blend with his offensive line (he's the most patient, cat-and-mouse back anybody's watched in a long time), but he's also an older man for his position. Twenty-seven (at the time of his signing) in the NFL at the running back position is not considered "young." Plus, the Jets weren't ready for the man. It made no sense from a team-building perspective and created unnecessary hype when the infrastructure wasn't yet ready for primetime. Infrastructure Not Yet Ready Enter OBJ. While Sam Darnold needs an outside weapon or two, this team still isn't ready for that type of player. Yes, an outside weapon is needed. But when the offensive line is still unproven, a big-money, older outside weapon makes little sense. Beckham will be 28 in November; again, this age is on the back-end of the average NFL contributing career. An AAV of $15 million over the next four years is nothing Douglas and the Jets should entertain, not while the infrastructure is still in its early stage. A Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb, a younger, much cheaper option, makes much more sense. Much like Bell, Beckham Jr. is a "cherry on top" move, not a team-building move. Teams who don't think along those lines wind up watching their franchise quarterback retire entirely too soon. Out in Indianapolis, guys like Frank Gore and Andre Johnson were added while the infrastructure still remained incomplete. The Colts paid for it in the end. Overrated? To top it all off, is the man even that great anymore? Since his injury-riddled 2017 season, Beckham Jr. hasn't wowed anybody. In 16 games a year ago, he put up just 1,035 yards and 4 scores on 74 receptions. In 2018, he, again, barely mustered 1,000 yards (1,052 yards, 6 touchdowns, 77 receptions in 12 games). Remember, this is a man whose celebrity far exceeds his production (especially as of late). Whenever that's the case, disappointment usually follows. His case of the drops has also been well-documented over the years. It's extremely possible he both deserves the "injury-prone" tag and has lost a step. Either way, the Jets are in no position to toss away assets for an older wideout who causes serious culture harm. If anything, more assets are required at this time. More quality bodies to compete in the trenches, the spot that kickstarts everything. Until the offensive line and four-man conventional rush are set, very little else matters. But the moment both are among the NFL's best, completion-moves such as Le'Veon Bell and Odell Beckham Jr. can suddenly make sense. The New York Jets just aren't there yet. Odell Beckham Jr. makes no sense. Luckily, it appears as though Joe Douglas is already well-aware of that very notion.