Titans have nothing to lose by attempting claim on Odell Beckham

The Titans could use an offensive ‘shot in the arm’ after losing Derrick Henry, and putting in a claim on Odell Beckham would make a lot of sense.

The Tennessee Titans have just been presented with a tremendous opportunity.

Just days after finding out All-Pro running back Derrick Henry suffered a Jones fracture in his foot and could potentially miss the rest of the 2021 season, news the Cleveland Browns are planning on releasing star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. suddenly rocked the headlines.

It’s not a total shocker. Beckham clearly wants out, and the Browns are doing little more than treading water right now.

As part of the deal, Cleveland is trying to rework Beckham’s contract, and there’s a chance the team that ends up trying to claim him off waivers would have to pay only a bare minimum after being claimed:

Awfully enticing.

According to Over the Cap, the Titans are currently blessed with just north of $4 million in additional cap space, so the financial ramifications wouldn’t be too much at all.

And with Tennessee wanting to ensure Henry’s injury doesn’t endanger head coach Mike Vrabel’s hold on the AFC South for the rest of the year, adding Beckham only gives the team a bit more thump and a clearer path towards winning the division.

Titans should put in a waiver claim for Odell Beckham, not try signing him post-waivers

Beckham, in the interest of picking wherever he wants to go and with the knowledge that he could create an NFL free agency bidding war, naturally hopes he doesn’t get claimed. Passing through waivers, which will go until Monday, Nov. 8, will subject him to plenty of bottom-tier teams who also could be looking to reinforce their wide receiver rooms for the rest of 2021.

For what it’s worth, the 6-2 Titans hold the No. 31 waiver claim, so there’s an awfully good chance Beckham is long gone in the claim order even if Tennessee submits such.

Yet that right there is a reason why Vrabel and Co. have nothing to lose by putting in such a claim.

Should Beckham clear through waivers, it’s still possible the Titans emerge as a destination, which could be fine. The only problem, however, is Beckham’s asking price would likely increase dramatically, cutting into whatever remaining cap space Tennessee has even more.

The cheaper option is the claim route. Plain and simple.

Titans need to rethink their offense after Derrick Henry’s injury

Henry could come back, yes, possibly in the playoffs. That’s always the hope. But the paralleling hope the running back who replaced him, 36-year-old Adrian Peterson, can suddenly pick up where Henry left off is a tall order.

Maybe that works to a small degree. But Tennessee isn’t going to be able to rely on the bowling ball-like rushing prowess of Henry for the bulk of the remaining schedule, thus transforming a run-first, run-often offense into one that has to feature the passing game much more.

Read More: A case for Titans signing WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Already boasting star wide receivers in Julio Jones and A.J. Brown, quarterback Ryan Tannehill would suddenly be made all the more dangerous with Beckham in the fray. At this stage in Beckham’s career, he’d likely seek a contender anyway and would certainly be thrilled at the idea of joining a Titans squad that still has its eyes on a top seed within the conference.

If anything, Tennessee wouldn’t miss a bit with pure offensive potency, adding one of the league’s most prolific wide receivers after already doing so with Jones last offseason.

And if Henry manages to work his way back from his foot surgery to the point of contributing late this year or into the preseason, it’s all the better.