NFL Rumors: Will the Patriots Get Another Shot at Trading for Odell Beckham Jr.?
The New England Patriots have struggled at the receiver position this season. That's why the reigning Super Bowl champions traded for Mohamed Sanu mid-season, and why they drafted wideout N'Keal Harry in the first round this year.
Without tight end Rob Gronkowski's monster presence in the middle of field, the Patriots saw this issue in the receiver room coming before the season began. Now, even though they've tried to solve the issue, it remains as one of the biggest reasons the team lost last week in Houston and may be the reason this Patriots team doesn't make another championship run this season.
While adding more talent to the receiver position doesn't seem like a viable option right now despite what one NFL analyst thinks, New England could have a major opportunity this offseason to add some offensive firepower before the draft.
According to Incarcerated Bob of IBN Sports Wrap, Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wants out of Cleveland once the season finishes, and Browns management will look to accommodate his likely request.
(His account has recently been made private, so this is a screenshot of the Tweet)
If this is true, then Beckham will be a part of a blockbuster trade for the second straight offseason. But could the Patriots be the trade suitor this time around?
In case you had forgotten, New England reportedly tried to trade for Beckham during the 2018 season, according to NBC Sports' Chris Simms.
What does this mean? It means the Patriots, more specifically Bill Belichick, have a serious interest in making Beckham a Patriot. But apparently the team's offer wasn't substantial enough to convince New York to move the superstar mid-season that they had just signed to a 5-year, $90 million contract extension.
When Cleveland traded for Beckham Jr. earlier this year, they gave up first- and third-round picks in the 2019 draft and safety Jabrill Peppers. Beckham has had a quiet year on the field, but is still on pace for another 1,000 yard season. He just turned 27 on Thursday and these should be his prime seasons, so one can assume that any interested team would at the very least have to give a first round choice.
Trading for Beckham would help the Patriots in two ways: 1) It would help drastically improve their offense for the 2020 season 2) It would further convince Tom Brady to stay in New England. The latter seems to be the most important part of the potential trade for the Patriots. Brady has been visibly frustrated during press conferences and games this season because of his receivers' inability (outside of Julian Edelman) to get separation and give the 42 year old someone to throw to downfield. One would imagine that if Belichick doesn't do something this offseason to help drastically improve New England's offense, it would only hurt their chances of retaining Brady in 2020. How the Patriots finish the 2019 season will also have a major impact on Brady's future with the team.
Trading for Beckham could be that drastic improvement, and acquiring him, even if it comes at a hefty price, would show Brady that the organization he has spent his entire NFL career with wants him to not only stick around, but to succeed in the process.
Brady and Beckham have a strong relationship despite never playing together. They even exchanged jerseys after a preseason game a few years ago. So putting them on the field seems to be a very good fit.
