2. The price of wide receiver keeps going up
If you recall last year around this time, all the talk was wide receiver money. While there were not good wideouts in this free agent market to spend big on, that did not mean the market just cooled. Once one name came up that had a chance to be worth it, he got paid.
Still, when you look at his overall salary and compare it to other wide receivers, it is not all that bad. He is making about the same money as Hunter Renfrow and Allen Robinson. Robinson was coming off a bad season in Chicago when he signed with the Rams and no one batted an eye. Hunter Renfrow is limited as a slot wideout, and does not bring much upside. He spent last year hurt for a decent chunk of the year. Be honest, would you rather have Robinson on that deal or Beckham?
Jakobi Meyers signed for $11.5M, and while Odell Beckham is coming off an ACL, he is still considered better than Meyers on his best days. Corey Davis and Curtis Samuel are making over $11M as well, so you can spare me with the thought that he is not worth more than that. Even if Beckham is not quite his prime, you still take the chance at him over those names, even at the same or more money.
Even if Odell Beckham hits all of his incentives, his deal will come in less than Diontae Johnson, Christian Kirk, Mike Williams, and Amari Cooper. At most, he would check in around 18th in salary amongst wide receivers. He currently is just inside the top 25. So, does the number look high? Yes. Would you rather take a shot on Odell Beckham over Curtis Samuel and Corey Davis? Easily. Knowing that his max value will barely crack the top 20 in wide receiver salary makes it easier to live with.