NFL Rumors: Patriots emerge as one of the frontrunners to acquire Odell Beckham Jr.
We've reached the second wave of free agency, where many free agents remain on the market such as wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the New England Patriots are one team to keep an eye out for in signing Beckham Jr.
Fowler said that the Patriots have had some exploratory talks in free agency with Beckham Jr., and they were interested in signing him last season when the Cleveland Browns released him.
From NFL Live, @JFowlerESPN on Odell Beckham: "Watch for the #Patriots here. I'm told they at least had some exploratory talks early in free agency. The Pats looked into Odell in November when he was released by Cleveland. Beckham has interest in Bill Belichick..." https://t.co/hCiJz4jRVt
The star wide receiver joined the Los Angeles Rams midway through the season last year after the Browns released him.
In 12 games played with the Rams last season, he recorded 48 receptions, 593 yards, and 7 touchdowns, including the Super Bowl's first touchdown along the way to becoming a Super-Bowl champ.
Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL in the first half of the Super Bowl and will likely miss the start of the season. This is his second ACL tear and he'll likely lose out on some money because of that.
Beckham Jr. tops the list of current wide receiver free agents. Other free agents available include Julio Jones, Will Fuller, Cole Beasley, AJ Greene, and TY Hilton.
Unlike last off-season, the Patriots have been pretty quiet, only bringing in RB/WR Ty Montgomery and signing Malcolm Butler back after his stint in Tennessee.
Bringing in Beckham Jr. would give the receiving core a true deep threat, and he would bring in a lot of veteran experience.
The New England Patriots acquired wide receiver DeVante Parker and a fifth-round pick from the Miami Dolphins for a third-round pick
The Patriots know they have to upgrade at the receiver position. Yesterday, they acquired wide receiver DeVante Parker from the Miami Dolphins along with a 2022 5th-round pick in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick.
Trade terms, per source:
Patriots get WR DeVante Parker and a 2022 5th-round pick.
Dolphins get a 2023 third-round pick.
The Patriots acquired Parker at a cheap price, considering they got a 5th-round pick back.
DeVante Parker’s cap number with the Patriots this season is only $6,044,118, and that's not too bad for a receiver who has had a 1,000-yard season. In six seasons played in the NFL, Parker has 298 receptions for 4,212 yards along with 22 touchdowns.
If the Pats can land Beckham Jr. with the addition of adding Parker, they could form a decent one-punch for Mac Jones this season.