Sign or Stand Pat? Patriots' Case For Signing Odell Beckham
Talk about a signing that would be quite the catch.
As the idea of a return "home" to Los Angeles begins to fade, Odell Beckham Jr. has gone on the recruiting trail and the New England Patriots are reportedly involved. This is not the first time that Beckham's services have drawn the Patriots' curiosity, as the team was said to have "heavily evaluated" the prospect following the receiver's dubious exit from the Cleveland Browns (who ironically stand in the Patriots' way as their Week 6 opponent on Sunday afternoon).
As the Patriots inch toward the second quarter of a season that's produced roller-coaster results, Beckham's prescience could make ... or break ... New England's future packed with both potential and chaos as is. As we did with Cam Newton, we explore the pros and cons ...
Pro: O Knows (How to Win)
One probably never thought we'd be chiding the New England Patriots for a lack of championship experience, but the 2020s are quite unusual. As it stands, however, Beckham has touched a Vince Lombardi Trophy more recently than Bill Belichick, hoisting the most recent edition with the Rams back in February. The Patriots' famed championship reputation has dwindled down to a simple handful, the most notable leftovers being David Andrews and Devin McCourty.
Beyond January's postseason cameo in Buffalo, many current Patriots are bereft of postseason experience. Not only does Beckham more than shatter that quota with his four-game trek en route to the hometown Super Bowl, but he played an active role in the title build, which included scoring the first touchdown in the final 23-20 victory over Cincinnati.
If the Patriots are trying to advance beyond Wild Card affairs, adding an accomplished name like Beckham, well-versed in the apparent championship repertoire, would be a good way to push things forward.
Con: If OBJ's Hurt, Everybody Hurts
If Beckham is so great, so helpful, so destined to make a championship difference, why is he more or less reduced to making "official visits" like a college recruit?
Some might be quick to blame his supposed attitude, though the aforementioned newfound championship prowess might be enough to provide immunity from those concerns (more on that in a minute). The real culprit, instead, is Beckham's lingering issues with a torn ACL sustained on his aforementioned Super score, his second in 16 months.
Former Patriots defender Rob Ninkovich took to ESPN Radio's airwaves to encourage Beckham to postpone his NFL future ... to thus save his NFL future.
“I personally think that it would probably be in his best interest to not play this season considering his ACL injury,” Ninkovich said. “I’ve had one, I know how it feels. He’s had two on the same knee. I can’t think of another receiver that’s had two-plus ACL injuries and ever come back.
“If I was him or if I was in his camp, I would say, ‘Listen, these offers aren’t what you really want to play for, so why don’t we get back to 100 percent, have a full year underneath your belt in recovery and then we’ll see where we can be.’”
Pro: Been There, Done That
The Patriots, particularly on offense, are a team that's packed to the brim with potential. What's missing is proof: too often will big play targets break out one week before fading to obscurity the next. DeVante Parker, for example, broke loose for 156 yards in a September loss to Baltimore but has earned 33 yards on a trio of receptions otherwise.
Beckham not only helped move the need in Los Angeles, but he might've served as a flat-out championship difference. His on-field play always spoke for itself and presented itself at a perfect time. But Beckham more or less tore down any non-medical red flags with rave reviews about his attitude in Los Angeles. Sure, a Super conclusion might have something to do with that, but it more or less destroyed anything that should've killed Beckham's chances at professional longevity.
"From the outside narrative, you thought he was a selfish player, a guy that just wanted to ball and didn't care about his teammates," Rams receiver coach Eric Yarber said. "But the reality of all that, he's not a selfish player. He loves his teammates, he plays for his teammates ... He wanted to be coached, and he wanted to be better, he wanted to be a good teammate. It wasn't like, 'Give me the ball, give me the ball.'"
"He came right in, he learned the playbook as well as he needed to, and he's been making plays over all over the field," teammate Van Jefferson concurred. "I think everyone is glad that he (was) here. He's definitely one of my favorite teammates I've ever had."
Salvation, vindication, thy name is Beckham. The Patriots would be more than happy to be introduced as well.
Con: He'll Be Anything But Cheap
The latest curve on the Beckham roller-coaster came this week when he was displeased with the Rams' supposedly lowball offer. Well aware that he's capable of influencing a team's season, it seems to be a subtle message from Beckham that he's not going to come easy.
He'll likely look for something lasting as well: the soon-to-be-30-year-old thought he found a lasting landing spot in Los Angeles, which made their offer as it stood even more heartbreaking.
The Patriots aren't exactly blessed in terms of available cap space, currently ranking 26th at just over $2.6 million. A massive windfall arrives next season ... currently slated to have the second-highest at over $63 million. But why should the Patriots dedicate a good portion of their future budget to a player defined by uncertainty? Maybe they should handle internal issues ... heck, this is a team some feel is a touchdown or interception away from a quarterback controversy ... before they turn to big budget renovations.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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