Saints reportedly made a move for Browns star Odell Beckham Jr. at NFL trade deadline
The New Orleans Saints made a late bid to acquire Odell Beckham Jr. at the trade deadline. The Saints realized that they needed to bolster the wide receiver room, and they made a play for Beckham.
Sean Payton's Saints are still without Michael Thomas, and they have now lost Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill. General manager Mickey Loomis needed to bolster his offense, but they couldn't strike a deal.
I’m told there were discussions re: Odell going to the #Saints — but both sides couldn’t agree on a workable deal, given how much OBJ is owed the rest of the year.
Plus, there still is optimism in the #Browns building that OBJ can be a big part of their second-half playoff push
Saints miss out and Beckham is unhappy
The electrifying, often controversial wideout is unhappy in Cleveland. Tensions have simmered for a while, and Beckham is starting to become a distraction for the Browns.
Beckham would've welcomed a move to Louisiana. He played for the LSU Tigers, and the Saints organization welcomes difficult personalities who possess elite talent. Beckham has a prominent, often divisive character, but no one can doubt his talent. He is one of the most talented players in the NFL.
Is OBJ’s one handed grab the best catch of all time? 🤔🏈 (via @nflthrowback)
https://t.co/TZ9a66bdib
Sadly, the Saints were in no position regarding the salary cap to make the deal work. Beckham is set to make $15 million this year. The Saints only had around $11 million in cap space. They'd have loved to have signed Beckham, but it wasn't feasible.
The Browns came into the season as fancied Super Bowl contenders. Now the Browns need to rebuild confidence with Beckham, his teammates and coaches. Baker Mayfield's inconsistent play is causing headaches, and Beckham's challenging personality makes things tricky for the young quarterback.
The Saints now need to formulate a plan on offense still without elite playmakers aside from Alvin Kamara. Sean Payton's team did everything perfectly to eke a win over the Buccaneers. The Saints are live contenders in a crowded NFC, but injuries are hitting them hard. Beckham would've been a brilliant addition.
Certain players are headline grabbers and generators. Odell Beckham Jr. is just that. Whatever he does, wherever he goes, gets analyzed and talked about ad nauseam.
Beckham's non-trade will now make headlines across the world. Ironically, it feels like all parties lost out. The Saints needed an X-factor playmaker, Beckham wanted New Orleans, and the Browns wanted to move on.
None of that happened, and now everyone has to forge a plan forward in unhappy circumstances.