In his first work with his new teammates, Odell Beckham Jr. is excited to join the Ravens at mandatory minicamp.
The star wide receiver is the Ravens' most-discussed offseason acquisition, and his presence at the Under Armour Performance Center for minicamp is another positive step in his recovery from a knee injury. A three-time Pro Bowler (2014-16), the 30-year-old Beckham is one of the NFL's most electrifying and popular players, and his addition as a big-play target for Lamar Jackson has been highly anticipated.
Beckham has made steady progress since missing the entire 2022 season and continued to sound optimistic about his health. While he would not predict how much he will participate in drills during minicamp, he made it clear that he felt great physically was on track to be fully healthy for Week 1 in September.
"The most important thing is getting ready for the season in September, that's when we play," Beckham said. "I don't have a set play amount, a number that's in my head. You come here, you get your reps, you talk.
"I feel good. It feels good to get out of bed and not feel pain. I feel like if I needed to take off running right now, I could take off running."
Beckham also confirmed he plans to work out with Jackson in Florida between OTAs and the start of training camp to speed up their process of building chemistry.
"I know I'll be down in Florida training with him," Beckham said. "We've been talking about it all offseason. He's one of the reasons I signed here. I don't know who's faster. He's one of the most electrifying players I've seen at that position. He just has that 'it' to him."
Beckham has been working out on his own since signing with Baltimore, but he has not played a game since Super Bowl LVI when he suffered the knee injury that caused him to miss the 2022 season. Beckham shared positive news about his recovery on social media in May, and minicamp will be another step toward his goal of being 100% by Week 1.
Beckham was perhaps on his way to being named Super Bowl MVP for the Rams when he suffered his injury. He was instrumental in their championship run with 21 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns during four playoff games and wants to show he remains one of the league's top wide receivers at age 30.
Head Coach John Harbaugh said Beckham's workload would increase gradually like any player coming back from a long absence from team activities.
"He's going to be full go as far as health, but I expect us to ramp up," Harbaugh said. "It will be kind of see as we go.
"He's very excited to be here. He wants to be here. He's a highly decorated player without question. He's been in all the big battles over the years. He's worked really hard to get himself back to this point. I'm sure he's a little anxious anticipating getting back on the field for the first time. We're not going to crazy out here, but I think it's a good first step for him."
The Ravens have high hopes for their passing offense this year under new Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken. Beckham joins a wide receiver group that includes Rashod Bateman, first-round pick Zay Flowers, Devin Duvernay and free agent acquisition Nelson Agholor. The tight end group is also talented led by All-Pro Mark Andrews, joined by second-year players Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar.
Beckham had his last 1,000-yard season in Cleveland in 2019, playing for Monken when he was the Browns' coordinator. Beckham caught 74 catches for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns that season and is excited to see how Monken plans to utilize the Ravens' offensive talent. Being at OTAs allows Beckham to have conversations with Monken, Jackson, and other teammates and coaches that will help accelerate the learning curve.
"Just familiarizing myself with the offensive playbook. The most important thing for me was just getting back to being healthy. The rest will always take care of itself."
