Odell Beckham Jr. or Von Miller: Who will have a bigger impact for the Rams?
The Los Angeles Rams have been one of the busiest teams during the 2021 NFL season. They were active before the NFL trade deadline when they acquired superstar pass rusher Von Miller from the Denver Broncos.
They followed that up by signing free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. after he was released by the Cleveland Browns.
The Rams were already Super Bowl contenders before the two big moves. They have now cemented themselves as one of the biggest favorites.
They already have one of the most talented and balanced rosters. They are even better now than they were before.
The question is which of the two added stars will have more of an impact on the Rams' season outcome.
Bigger addition for the Rams: Odell Beckham Jr. or Von Miller?
The Rams have a solid group of wide receivers. Unfortunately, they just recently lost Robert Woods to a season-ending knee injury.
That likely makes Beckham the number two option in the receiving game behind Cooper Kupp, while Van Jefferson retains his role as the third wide receiver. They were loaded at receiver with Woods but are still solid without him.
On the same day that the team signed WR Odell Beckham Jr., Rams’ WR Robert Woods tore his ACL at practice Friday, sources tell @diannaESPN and me.
It's been five years since Beckham produced at an elite level. Some of that could be due to injuries, as well as offensive schemes, but it's fair to wonder what exactly Beckham is doing at this point in his career.
His first three seasons were incredible but that was a long time ago.
It will be interesting to see his level of performance in this favorable Rams offensive system designed by Sean McVay and led by Matthew Stafford. The Rams already have the third-ranked passing offense in the NFL.
It's likely they will maintain that standing or possibly move up slightly.
Beckham clearly helps the Rams chances, but probably not as much as Von Miller. He is a future Hall of Famer and has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL over the last decade.
He recorded double-digit sacks in all seven seasons in which he played at least ten games.
Pairing Von Miller with Aaron Donald on the Rams defensive looks like an absolutely lethal combination. Donald is the most dominant force in the NFL and regularly destroys opposing offensive game plans.
Now he has one of the best pass rushers in the game on the edge to compliment him in the middle.
Teammates. https://t.co/IadN3Zo3p9
The Rams already lead the NFL in sacks this season, and that total will likely go much higher once Von Miller enters the lineup. It's nearly impossible for offensive lines to consistently double team both Miller and Donald.
That's a major problem because both of them usually get double teams on almost every play.
Whenever either of the two of them face single blocking assignments, they are more than capable of causing havoc. Even when they are doubled they are able to beat it often.
The addition of Von Miller to this already effective pass rushing scheme for the Rams takes their defense to a whole new level. That helps their Super Bowl chances even more than adding Odell Beckham Jr. to the offense.