Odell Beckham Jr. chase was a giant waste of time for Cowboys

Free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. reportedly wants to wait until March to sign his next contract. Basically, the last few months have been an extraordinary waste of time for the Cowboys and others.

Dallas was deemed the favorite for Odell Beckham Jr. weeks ago. They wined and dined him, taking him around the Cowboys facilities and even a Mavericks game with his potential new teammates.

Yet, OBJ’s visit didn’t necessarily go according to plan, as somewhere along the line there was a miscommunication as to how much he would contribute during the regular season. Evidently, Beckham Jr. won’t be fully healthy for the next few weeks.

If it were up to Beckham Jr. himself (which it is) he wouldn’t play until the postseason, if not later. Per Jeremy Fowler, several teams believe he’ll wait until March to sign, just to be safe.

Why would Cowboys target Odell Beckham Jr. wait until the offseason to sign?

OBJ could very well wait until the offseason, as he’d be the prize of an otherwise weak wide receiver market. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Nelson Agholor and more are — at the moment — the class of the 2023 free agent wide receiver market.

Odell is far from a guarantee at this juncture, given he last played nearly a year ago. Beckham Jr. has spent the majority of this season recovering from major knee surgery.

His initial market suggested the Cowboys, Giants and Bills could be interested, among other contenders like the Chiefs and Packers. With renewed interest in the offseason, OBJ could receive the multiyear deal he’s been seeking.

Several teams backed off Odell of late due to his injury status and reportedly his perceived worth. The wide receiver tweeted about this drama a few months ago.

The Rams didn’t offer Beckham Jr. nearly enough, as he was coming off injury. Since then, no team has met his asking price either.

Until OBJ lowers his own expectations, there will be no potential suitor. Even this offseason, something has to give.