Getty Odell Beckham Jr. has been open about his desire to play with Tom Brady.
Odell Beckham Jr. is officially a free agent after passing through waivers unclaimed, and we can expect Tom Brady to at least put in a call to the star receiver about potentially joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The challenge is the Buccaneers do not have any cap space and already have a crowded wide receiver room. The Athletic’s Greg Auman believes the Bucs have a chance to land Beckham, but there would have to be some sacrifices made by the star receiver.
“A chance? Sure. Hard to know what Beckham’s priorities are, but Bucs are certainly a contender with a respected QB,” Auman tweeted on November 9. “Does he care what share of targets he gets? Or how much he makes this year?”
According to Fox New Orleans WVUE’s Garland Gillen, the Buccaneers are among the top contenders to land Beckham.
“Odell Beckham, Jr. has cleared waivers, he’s now a free agent. According to a source, preferable teams for OBJ are the Packers, Saints, and Bucs. @FOX8NOLA,” Gillen detailed on Twitter after Beckham passed through waivers unclaimed.
ALL the latest Bucs news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Bucs newsletter here!
Brady & OBJ Have ‘Long Aspired to Play Alongside One Another’: Report
If the Bucs do have an interest in adding Beckham, the team’s first hurdle was the receiver passing through waivers unclaimed. Tampa Bay did not have the cap space to pay Beckham’s $7 million salary for the remainder of the season. ESPN’s Jeff Darlington believes Beckham would love to play with Tom Brady.
“We can talk about all of the places that might make the most sense, but there is one romantic destination that I can’t get out of head and that is the Tampa Bay Bucs,” Darlington explained on a November 4 edition of Get Up. “I have never heard of another quarterback that Odell Beckham Jr. respects and has aspired to play with [more] than Tom Brady. Of course, it matters about whether or not he is actually able to pick his team, in which case we should keep that in the back of our heads.
“Tom Brady loves his roster, he loves his players. Scotty Miller is coming back. Antonio Brown dealing with an ankle injury, though. We’ll see how that all plays out, but keep in the back of your minds the fact that Tom Brady and Odell Beckham Jr. have long aspired to play alongside one another.”
Beckham: ‘That Was Always a Dream of Mine to Play for Tom Brady’
During a 2019 press conference, Beckham spoke at length about wanting to play with Brady. The wide receiver admitted that it was his “dream” to someday play with Brady.
“Like I say, Tom Brady’s the G.O.A.T., and I know we’ve done some goat cloning,” Beckham noted during an October 23, 2019 press conference. “So, I think there’s something going on. He’s not human to be playing the way he’s still playing, mentally prepared every single game, decisive decisions. Knows how to manage a game, plays offense and defense with the way that he plays. He’s just very smart. He’s the best [to] ever do it.
“I don’t think anybody could really argue it. He’s just the greatest, so I definitely want some of the water that he’s drinking. …I think two, three years ago there was a whole speculation and all that that was going on and I was willing and ready to go over there [Patriots] at any point in time and that was always a dream of mine to play for Tom Brady.
Beckham admitted that he had consistent dialogue with Brady about potentially teaming up in New England. We will see if that translates to Beckham considering the Bucs despite their depth at receiver.
“Tom and I talked for two or three years like, ‘hey man,’ if it happens, it happens and it’d be cool,” Beckham added. “But now I’m with somebody who I think is gonna be a guy who plays for however long he’s gonna play for. And right now, it’s about us establishing a connection and just being a better team, just coming together.”