OTL: OBJ Says Goodbye to Baltimore, Fields Heads to Pittsburgh

Top o’ the mornin’ Flock! Hope everybody is recovering nicely after the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Let’s see what we missed with the Ravens and around the NFL while the Guinness and/or green light beer flowed freely.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s time in Baltimore was, as expected, short-lived. The wide receiver posted what was clearly a farewell to Charm City on his Instagram page.

A farewell message from Odell Beckham Jr., now a free agent after a year in Baltimore:

“I appreciate the Flock more than yall could EVER imagine. Did everything I could wit the opportunities I had.”

(via IG/obj) pic.twitter.com/5Wjq7pzDat

— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) March 17, 2024

Swea on everything I appreciate the Flock more than yall could EVER imagine. Did everything I could wit the opportunities I had. Wish I got to do it big for yall. Thank you for the Vibez! To the City of Baltimore I fxck with yall forever FRRRR. And most importantly to my brothers over there this shxt a lifetime sentence, I love yall! BiggestTruzzz

The debate over whether or not OBJ was “worth” the $16M they paid him will go on. For my money, his guidance over the young WR room, the few big/clutch plays he DID make, and his signing to convince Lamar Jackson that the organization was ready to get serious about the position all make the OBJ era well worth the price.

Speaking of moving on, we have yet another former Raven moving on, but not moving far, staying in the AFC North.

The Browns are signing former Ravens QB Tyler Huntley, per @MaryKayCabot pic.twitter.com/GMFK16LD82

— PFF (@PFF) March 17, 2024

Tyler Huntley is headed to Cleveland, where he’ll compete with Jameis Winston to back up Deshaun Watson.

Ok, sure. Happy trails, Snoop. Thanks for everything except, you know…that one thing.

In other AFC North news, the last time I put together an OTL, Russell Wilson had just joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. It seems Yinz weren’t quite finished retooling their QB room. Word is that former first-round pick Kenny Pickett wasn’t happy about his job being taken away, and so on Friday, Pittsburgh dealt him to Philadelphia.

The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly traded Kenny Pickett due in part to the fact that he was unhappy with the arrival of Russell Wilson. Per NBC Sports pic.twitter.com/U4pIkdpR44

— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) March 18, 2024

Somehow, backing up Jalen Hurts seems like a step down from backing up Russell Wilson, if one wants to get some playing time. Congratulations, Kenny, you played yourself. Enjoy the move across PA, I guess.

Unfortunately, Pittsburgh wasn’t done. As many of us had feared, yesterday they continued their evolution by dealing for Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields, another former first-round pick.

The Pittsburgh Steelers just robbed the Chicago Bears on the weekend in broad daylight. Getting Justin Fields in 2024, giving up ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in 2024 and only giving up a 2025 6th round pick that MIGHT turn into a 4th rounder. This is what we call BIG BANK take little bank. pic.twitter.com/Dn2n8KvrWt

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) March 16, 2024

It’s crazy to think that Chicago couldn’t get anything more than that for Fields, a 25-year-old former #11 overall pick. The league continues to evolve to more athletic quarterbacks, and none of the other teams were willing to offer more to a guy with Fields’ physical gifts? Wild.

Anyway, as a Ravens fan I was much more looking forward to a few more years of lining up against Kenny Tiny Mitts than I will be to stare down Fields. Although, maybe this will work out: for some reason, as of late, John Harbaugh teams can only seem to beat the Steelers when they’re good, not when they suck.

May your hangovers be a brief as the Pickett era in Pittsburgh, Flock.

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