Odell Beckham Jr. was ‘very, very’ close to signing with Patriots after he was waived by Browns
Beckham told reporters it would have been "ideal" if Tom Brady was still in New England.
Brace yourselves Patriots fans, this one might sting: Odell Beckham Jr. told reporters on Monday he was “close” to landing in New England after the Browns released him earlier this year.
“Very. Very, very, very,” Beckham said. “I don’t think I joked with [Bill Belichick] on the phone, but I was like, ‘You know, if this was three years ago, it would’ve been ideal.’ Because Tom, he’s one of my favorites.”
Beckham added that playing for Belichick would have been an honor.
“For a coach like Bill Belichick, who I’ve admired for years and I’ve seen and just always was like, ‘Man, one day I’m gonna play for Bill Belichick,’ for him to call me, to be able to just sit down on the phone with him and talk football, I mean, it’s like, what more could you ask for?” Beckham said. “So I was very close, that was one of the teams that was in there. But I felt like this was home. I felt like this was right.”
The Browns released Beckham officially in November. He said he considered the Saints as well, in addition to the Patriots and Rams.
“It just didn’t feel like the right time,” Beckham said on Monday. “Right place. Wrong time.”
Ultimately, however, the Rams were able to offer him a great situation — warm weather, a contender and more.
“I took a lot of time in the decision-making, and it wasn’t to build anticipation or nothing,” Beckham said at the time. “This is my life and I feel like I’ve been through a lot. I’m at a point in my life where I’m ready to play football, I’ve dedicated, I’ve sacrificed a lot to be here. It just happened that this felt right in my heart and in my soul.”
Beckham tallied five touchdowns, 16 first-down catches and 305 yards in eight games with the Rams. In the NFC Championship game, he caught 11 passes for 113 yards.
“This is a tremendous team,” Beckham said of the Rams in November. “Have a great opportunity to do some great things, and I just want to be a part of it.”
As much as Patriots fans might have wanted to see Beckham in New England, he seems to have made a pretty solid choice.
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