Los Angeles Rams’ wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had ‘exploratory talks’ and was rumored to join the New England Patriots. Although mutual interest had been shown, both OBJ and the Patriots were not in a rush to sign the deal due to some considerations.
#Patriots have had exploratory talks with free-agent WR Odell Beckham about signing the star receiver
Pats looked into signing OBJ back in November last year following his release from the #Browns, per @JFowlerESPN
There's currently "no rush" to get a deal done from both sides
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 1, 2022
OBJ is currently recovering from his torn ACL injury that he got from the last match with the Rams in Super Bowl LVI. Apart from that, the NFL rules for rosters, which require teams who want to activate a player from the injured reserve to have the player start on their 53-man roster, are also another thing to consider. OBJ will be able to play as soon as November 2022, so if the Patriots sign him, they must carry him through training camp, practices, preseason, and the 53-man roster.
OBJ and the Patriots’ mutual interest
It was not unexpected to see the Patriots’ wish to acquire OBJ. When OBJ was released by the Browns last November, the Patriots did try to bring him to the team. “I was (thinking), ‘You know, if this was three years ago, it would’ve been ideal, because Tom (Brady) is one of my favorites. I know I posted a video a long time (ago) of just the passion and the fire that Tom has, and there’s a bunch of clips cutting to me doing similar things. And mine gets misconstrued for something else, and this is something else, and it’s just like, actually I love football so much that I’ll punch a water cooler. Like, I care that much for this game,” OBJ said.
OBJ also expressed his interest and admiration for coach Bill Belichick. “And for a coach like Bill Belichick, who I’ve admired for years and I’ve seen, and, just, always was like, ‘Man, someday I’m gonna play for Bill Belichick.’ … For him to call me; to be able to just sit down on the phone and talk football — I mean, it’s like, what more could you ask for?” he stated.
OBJ was so close to signing the deal, but he ended up with the Rams instead.
The possibility of OBJ joining the Patriots
If the rumour turns out to be true, the addition of OBJ will surely benefit the Patriots. During his important play in the Super Bowl, he recorded 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight games. With Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor, and Kendrick Bourne already in the team, OBJ will be an excellent addition to the Patriots’ receiving department.
But OBJ needs to wait a little bit longer to be able to sign the deal. Despite the fact that OBJ has expressed an interest in joining the team, it is unclear whether he would be willing to wait for that long.
The timeline for OBJ’s re-signing is still uncertain as it may take weeks or even months, while the Rams also want OBJ back in the fold. So, it remains unclear whether OBJ will return to the Rams or wait a little longer before joining the Patriots.