The New England Patriots are in desperate need of offensive playmakers heading into 2020, and they may need to get aggressive in pursuing one in order to convince Tom Brady to return. If the Pats look to make a trade for a star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. could be a name to watch.
Greg A. Bedard of Boston Sports Journal recently published what he called a “realistic” projection of the Patriots’ 53-man roster for 2020, and he included Beckham. The rationale behind the prediction is that the Browns are “much more likely” to trade Beckham now that they are focusing on a more analytics-based approach, and Bedard believes Brady and Bill Belichick could get the most out of OBJ the way they did when the Patriots acquired Randy Moss in a blockbuster trade back in 2007.
The Patriots would likely be interested if the Browns made Beckham available via trade. However, Cleveland would almost certainly ask for a first-round pick in return, and it’s unclear if Belichick would be willing to part with the No. 23 overall pick and pay Beckham $14 million per year.
The Patriots were reportedly aggressive in trying to acquire Beckham via trade when the New York Giants first made him available. However, that was before OBJ signed his massive contract extension, so things may not be the same now.
A lot has been made about Brady wanting a big financial commitment from the Patriots, but he really wants them to improve the roster around him. He would probably be willing to take less than market value once again if he had a chance to play with a Pro Bowler like Beckham, with whom he has always been friendly.
