Odell Beckham finds peace in the LA sunshine, Rams vibe

LOS ANGELES — The maturation of Odell Beckham Jr. has never been more apparent than this week in Los Angeles.

Given the Super Bowl LVI stage he has climbed onto as a member of the Los Angeles Rams and the loud clap-back it sends to detractors from New York to Cleveland, it would be easy for Beckham to use the moment to deliver a “what do you think of me know?” message.

Maybe even understandable after some of the backlash he received during and immediately after his time with the Giants and Browns.

But the soothing sunshine and vibe of Southern California and playing for the star-studded Rams have done far more than give Beckham a new lease on his professional football life. It’s mellowed him in a way even he never would have predicted.

So he is resisting any temptation to throw shade on anyone.

“A younger me definitely would have,” Beckham concedes. “But I feel like I’ve come so far, and I really know who I am. I know myself. I know what I can bring.”

What he’s become for the Rams is an indispensable part of their high-powered offense.

He came aboard on Nov. 12 after the Browns released him six games into the season. At the time, Beckham was viewed as a luxury for the Rams, who already featured Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Van Jefferson as their wide receivers.

But on the very day Beckham showed up in Los Angeles, Woods went down with a season-ending knee injury during an afternoon practice. An acquisition that initially seemed like overkill immediately became a necessity.

Beckham used the next two months to find his footing with the Rams. Over eight games in the regular season, he had a pedestrian 27 catches for 305 yards and five touchdowns.

But he has come alive in the two playoff games, making 19 receptions for 236 yards and a touchdown. He has been a perfect complement to Kupp and become a trusted weapon of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.

It’s doubtful the Rams get to the Super Bowl without Beckham.

“We didn’t know we were going to lose Robert like that,” Stafford said. “But I thought Odell did a great job of stepping in. His role was different than Rob’s was, but he’s embraced that role, he’s grown in that role.”

Under no circumstances is it easy getting dropped into a tight-knit operation in the middle of the season. That’s especially true at a position that requires command of the playbook and timing and chemistry with the quarterback.

Losing Woods only increased the level of difficulty. It meant the Rams needed Beckham to be a focal point rather than just a member of the supporting cast.

“A lot of times, whether it’s receiver or any other position you step into, you’re still thinking and learning,” Stafford said. “Sometimes the physical parts of the game drop off because you’re thinking. He’s done a wonderful job of being able to lock in on his role in our offense and go play fast.”

It’s all coming together for Beckham. According to Next Gen Stats, Beckham has increased his get-open percentage from 35 percent during his regular-season games with the Rams to 61 percent during the postseason. While he averaged 2.6 yards of separation during the regular season with the Rams, that has increased to 3.6 yards in the playoffs. With more command of the playbook, Beckham is playing even faster.

“The plan wasn’t for him to have to learn this thing as quickly as he did,” Kupp said. “He had to do a lot of this stuff mentally, just on his own learning on his own. Our play-calls, our formations, all this different stuff, all that nuance and detail that it takes to be good in this offense.”

Needless to say, it’s all worked out. But rather than use the occasion to get back at his critics, Beckham is just enjoying the moment.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.