Cowboys-Odell Beckham Jr. pairing held back by 1 obvious factor

The Dallas Cowboys met with Odell Beckham Jr. early this week, and appeared close to signing him — until they weren’t.

Jerry Jones initially stated that Odell’s visit to Dallas went well, and Beckham Jr. was even seen at a Dallas Mavericks game courtside with several Cowboys players.

When asked if he would sign with the Cowboys at the Mavs game, Odell was non-committal, but did drop a hint that he was pleased with his visit. When asked by ESPN about his chances of signing in Dallas, Beckham Jr. said “it’s a good possibility.”

So, what happened between last night and Tuesday afternoon? Jones wouldn’t commit to any future decision.

“We had pretty extensive meetings (yesterday). We spent quite a bit of time together. I enjoyed every minute of it. We’ll get back together today and see where we go from here. A lot of variables. It has to fit for both parties,” Jones said. “I’m not confident, at all. That’s the issue. We’ve got a good bead on that. We’ve got a great read on his career. It all has to be addressed and that’s when you see if you can make a deal or not.”

Why won’t the Cowboys sign Odell Beckham Jr?

Per the Dallas Morning News, if the Cowboys do sign Beckham Jr., it’ll have to come with the “understanding that the veteran receiver is unlikely to play before the regular season is done.”

Dallas, and most potential suitors for that matter, were interested in Beckham Jr. with the idea that he could help them contend this season. The Cowboys are among the Super Bowl favorites in the NFC. What’s the point in waiting around to see what Beckham Jr. can achieve next year with Dak Prescott?

While we don’t know exactly what kind of contract Beckham Jr. is asking for, unless it’s relatively cheap, Dallas doesn’t have much use for wide receivers who can’t actively contribute to this year’s team.