The Patriots long were linked to Odell Beckham Jr. in trade speculation, so it was only natural to wonder Friday after the Cleveland Browns announced they were releasing the star wide receiver whether New England could emerge as a landing spot.
Of course, this isn’t as simple as saying the Patriots should sign Beckham, for the 29-year-old will be subjected to waivers and New England currently sits 15th in the NFL waiver order. But Beckham has been vocal in the past about his admiration for Bill Belichick. The Patriots can submit a claim, if nothing else.
Either way, Stephen A. Smith doesn’t believe New England is a great fit for Beckham, simply because the offense is evolving under rookie quarterback Mac Jones and therefore isn’t positioned to accentuate OBJ’s talent right now.
“With the Patriots, they’re not there yet,” Smith said Friday on ESPN’s “First Take” when Molly Qerim raised New England as a possibility for Beckham. “And I think with Odell Beckham Jr., he needs to be in a place — offensively; I’m talking about offensively — they’re there.
“He’s not going to have any trepidation if Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers or Matthew Stafford is throwing him the football. That might be the case with a rookie quarterback. In Bill Belichick’s run-centric system, we have to be careful about that.”
Tim Tebow was higher than Smith on the thought of a Beckham-Patriots marriage, though he, too, believes better fits exist. The quarterback-turned-analyst pointed to the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams as possible destinations worth keeping an eye on in the coming days.
The Patriots are a popular talking point anytime a high-profile player becomes available, and Beckham, an excellent athlete who underachieved in Cleveland after a jaw-dropping start to his NFL career with the New York Giants, definitely would add a new dynamic to New England’s receiving corps.
Just don’t be surprised if OBJ winds up elsewhere when the dust settles.
