Only two weeks into the new NFL season, Odell Beckham Jr. once again finds himself at the center of trade rumors.
The Cleveland Browns wide receiver has seen inconsistent (mostly underwhelming) results since joining the team last year. His numbers have been down across the board compared to his first three seasons with the New York Giants.
As frustrations continue to mount for OBJ and the Browns, reports state there's a possibility the 27-year-old could get dealt this season. Mike Florio of NBC Sports' ProFootballTalk believes if that were to happen, the New England Patriots would be the most probable destination for the three-time Pro Bowler.
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“I think the Patriots make the most sense for him,” Florio told . “A lot of teams would not be able to absorb Odell Beckham Jr. and get him to comply with the way they do things, because there’s that constant expectation you’re going to get him the ball, and I’m a firm believer in the quarterback throwing to the guy who’s open. The hell with trying to get the ball to a certain player. That just drags down your offense, and it creates tension and frustration, and that’s been one of the problems in Cleveland, and it’s not going away just because they won (Thursday). Because anytime they lose, that’s going to be item number one: Did you get the ball enough to Odell Beckham Jr.?
“But he’s craved this idea of going to New England. Now, once he gets there, if he gets there, he may feel differently about the Patriot Way and what it does to you, to break you down, to get you to comply, to get you to submit, to get you to quit thinking about your own individual accomplishments. But I feel like that’s what he needs. I think he needs someone who’s gonna put it to him straight, who has the authority to get him to forget about how many catches he has and just focus on winning. He seems to be focused on winning.”
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New England Patriots
This is far from the first time Florio has shared this opinion. In fact, he wrote a column on Wednesday about this very topic. Clearly, Beckham catching four passes for 74 yards and a touchdown on Thursday Night Football didn't change his mind.
Beckham also was the subject of trade rumors last season, and the Patriots speculation only grew when he raved about head coach Bill Belichick and "The Patriot Way."
It's no secret New England certainly could use the wide receiver help. Even though the running game looked rock-solid with Cam Newton leading the charge in Week 1, that's unlikely to be a successful strategy all season long.
While Patriots fans shouldn't get their hopes up, acquiring Beckham from Cleveland definitely isn't out of the realm of possibility. Belichick has pulled off surprising blockbuster deals before. Plus, New England has the salary cap space to execute this kind of trade comfortably.
Would OBJ be a good fit in New England? Who knows. But it sure seems Newton would be on board if such a deal were to be made.