New England Patriots Rumors: Odell Beckham Jr. noise isn’t dying

Would the New England Patriots still trade for Odell Beckham Jr. without Tom Brady under center? One NFL Insider believes so.

The 2020 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, Tom Brady is building his brand in Tampa Bay and the New England Patriots are in the beginning stages of changing their identity, figuratively and literally.

With rumors surrounding the draft swirling and Bill Belichick exploring, the one constant is those rumors of Odell Beckham Jr. ending up with the Patriots and sporting one of those new uniforms teased by the team.

Of course, those rumors would’ve been officially squashed had the Beckham Jr. to Minnesota Vikings possible trade had any merit to it.  In the reality show known as the NFL, you really can’t take anyone’s word for anything as rumors usually surface from someone leaking something.

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But, in this instance let’s just believe that Cleveland Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta is being true to his word when he said those Beckham to Vikings rumors were “completely false.”

So, what about the New England Patriots?

Well, a high-caliber talent like Odell Beckham Jr. would’ve certainly kept Tom Brady in town had it happened prior to the start of free agency.  But, does an addition of an elite receiver like Beckham really work now without Brady in the mix?

We will get into that, but as NFL Insider Chris Simms told NBC Sports Mike Florio this week, Odell Beckham Jr. to the New England Patriots is a trade that still has some spark to it:

"“The New England Patriots were involved in the DeAndre Hopkins conversation and the Stefon Diggs conversation.  If you tell Bill Belichick it’s only going to take a second and a fifth to get Odell Beckham Jr., I think they would be very real players.”"

The problem with that trade scenario is that the Patriots don’t not have a second-round pick to offer.  So, perhaps Joe Thuney and a fifth?

The Browns do need offensive line help and were rumored to be in on the Patriots offensive lineman before he was franchise tagged by the team.  So, that is a possibility if Bill Belichick thinks Beckham could help the team win.

Talent wise, it is a no-brainer.  But if the New England Patriots go with a young quarterback like Jarrett Stidham will a veteran talent like OBJ help him grow?

For a player in need of structure and discipline, Bill Belichick is the perfect coach for him, but that works even better with a quarterback like Tom Brady under center.

Yes, Beckham has worked will with Baker Mayfield, but if he is not getting the ball, does the diva in him emerge?  With a coach like Belichick snarling at him, he may just stay quiet and play as long as the team is winning.

In summary, this trade rumor still makes sense even without Tom Brady, but Bill Belichick has to feel certain Odell Beckham Jr. will be an asset for the New England Patriots both on and off the field.  By off the field, he has to lead by example and be willing to do his job no matter what the game plan is on a week-to-week basis.