The Patriots will get an up-close look Friday at this year’s highest-profile free agent wide receiver.
New England is among the teams expected to attend Odell Beckham Jr.’s workout in Arizona, according to a report Thursday from Doug Kyed of A to Z Sports.
Beckham, a three-time Pro Bowler, did not play this season after tearing his ACL in Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams. Concerns over the status of his knee reportedly deterred at least one team from signing him in 2022, but NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Wednesday reported Beckham now is “100% fully healthy.”
Though he’s past his prime at age 30, Beckham would be a high-upside addition to a Patriots receiving corps that could lose Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor in free agency. New England has been linked to the former New York Giants star for years, with Beckham revealing last February that he came close to signing with the Patriots after his 2021 release from the Cleveland Browns.
Beckham was reasonably productive following his arrival in LA. He caught 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular-season games for the Rams, then added 21 more catches for 288 yards and two scores in the playoffs.
The Patriots currently have receivers DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, Lynn Bowden and Tre Nixon under contract for the 2023 season. Peak Beckham would be the No. 1 weapon in that group, but it’s impossible to predict what kind of player he’ll be after a year away from the game.
