Getty Odell Beckham Jr. could join the Patriots.
Odell Beckham Jr. is on the verge of playing for a new NFL team.
The three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver officially entered waivers on Monday afternoon and will have until 4 p.m. EST of Tuesday to clear waivers.
While the New England Patriots weren’t listed as one of the three teams listed on Beckham Jr.’s wish list, there’s still the possibility he could land in New England — whether through waivers or by signing with the team.
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was hit with the question of Beckham possibly joining New England during an appearance on WEEI’s Merloni and Fauria’s show on Monday, November 8. The rookie said that he and the rest of the Patriots are “open” to anyone who wants to play in New England and help the team win.
Via Zack Cox of NESN:
“I think Odell is a great player,” Jones said. “I definitely watched him growing up. Obviously, that’s not my decision, but we’re open to have whoever wants to come here and help us win.”
If the Patriots were to put in a waiver claim for the 29-year-old receiver, they’d be 15th in the waiver order, according to CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan. By doing so, they would also have to pick up the remaining $7.25 million remaining on his contract, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
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Patriots-Beckham Pairing Makes Sense
Whether or not a Beckham-Patriots pairing is in the works has yet to be determined. With that being said, New England could certainly use a receiver the caliber of Beckham.
The former Pro Bowl receiver has struggled over the past two seasons with Baker Mayfield as his quarterback with the Cleveland Browns. He has just 40 receptions for 551 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games.
However, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has shown an affinity for “reclamation” projects, especially at the receiver position. In the past, he’s acquired players such as Randy Moss, Antonio Brown and Chad Johnson.
Considering Beckham is just 29 years of age and has shown an appreciation of Belichick and the Patriots in the past, who is to say New England wouldn’t take a chance on the receiver?
Belichick: We’d Do Anything to Help Our Football Team
Belichick wasn’t asked directly about Beckham late last week — although the question was obviously in reference to him — but he was asked about the value of adding a player at this point of the season.
Via Matt Vautour of Mass Live:
“We’ve done that before. We brought in (Aqib) Talib in the middle of the season,” Belichick said. “You have to evaluate any situation. I don’t know any specifics to talk about. We’d do anything we could to help our football team. We brought in James Harrison with one game to go in the season.”
The Patriots’ leading receiver is Jakobi Meyers, who has 46 receptions for 434 yards on just 9.4 yards per reception. Most importantly, Meyers doesn’t have.a single touchdown in his three seasons in New England.
With New England in the thick of the playoff chase — they’re currently the seventh seed in the AFC with a 5-4 record — signing a player like Beckham could be the piece that pushes them over the edge.