Whether the Patriots have interest in Odell Beckham Jr. is anyone's guess. You could make a strong case that New England shouldn't touch the star receiver with a ten-foot pole.
However, if the Patriots do want Beckham, they might have a decent shot of landing the 29-year-old.
The Cleveland Browns will put Beckham on waivers Monday, but his restructured contract makes it "likely" he'll go unclaimed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. If that happens, Beckham would become a free agent, able to sign anywhere for any price. That would increase New England's chances of acquiring Beckham, as the Patriots currently don't have enough salary cap space to sign Beckham without making roster adjustments.
Also working in New England's favor are Beckham's reported preferences. Check out this excerpt from Schefter's column published Sunday morning:
But Beckham does not want to go to just any team, according to sources familiar with his thinking. Beckham wants to spend the rest of this season with a playoff contender and in a winning environment, where he believes he would be happy and productive.
If a team that does not fit this criteria claims Beckham and the $7.25 million remaining on his contract, there could be potential issues for that team, according to a source, although it is unclear exactly what those issues would be.
Schefter also added this on Beckham: "Multiple teams with winning records and established offenses are expected to be interested in Beckham, sources told ESPN. Certain players already have reached out to Beckham, pitching the merits of their organization, according to sources."
No, the Patriots aren't the playoff lock they've been in past seasons. It's entirely possible that Beckham doesn't view New England as a legitimate contender and isn't high on Mac Jones. But the reality is the Patriots do have a shot at making the postseason, and Jones looks like a potential franchise quarterback. Plus, Beckham never has hidden his fondness for Bill Belichick.
The results of Beckham's waiver process reportedly could be revealed by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, and he hopes to be with a new team at some point next week. So, we won't have to wait much longer to learn how this story ends.
