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Odell Beckham Jr. said during a press conference recently that he very nearly became a New Orleans Saint this past season.
Odell Beckham Jr. on how close he came to signing with the #Saints.
— Rod Walker (@RodWalkerNola) February 7, 2022
“I was close. Very close. It just didn’t feel like the right time. Right place. Wrong time.”#SuperBowl media
While he quite obviously would’ve been a ginormous addition for an offense starved of playmakers in 2021, he would also be a valuable addition if he was wearing Black and Gold in 2022.
With Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara (sore subject right now, I know) already huge parts of the Saints offense – if you add OBJ in there – you’ve all of a sudden got a really talented trio of skill players for a quarterback to get the ball to.
Just think about how the Rams utilize Cooper Kupp and OBJ now. Any time Kupp gets double teamed or garners extra attention, as MT quite often does, you’ve got OBJ singled up on the opposite side. When you have two receivers as talented as them, the defense is pretty much always at a disadvantage and just has to pick their poison.
You pair two wideouts like OBJ and MT together and you get that same effect, which could revitalize an offense that is in desperate need of revitalization.
OBJ currently has a one-year, $1.25 million deal with the Los Angeles Rams that expires after this season.
Now, we can’t act like there isn’t a chance he decides to re-sign with the Rams, a team he seems to be having a blast being a part of and a team he’s about to compete in a Super Bowl with. But it’s definitely possible that he walks away and comes to a quality organization that’s an hour away from his hometown in Baton Rouge, and one that he’s expressed positive feelings towards.
The former LSU Tiger has really come into his own in the playoffs here lately and shown the league the type of player he’s still capable of being.
In three playoff games, he’s caught 19 of 22 targets for 236 yards and a touchdown. He ranks fifth in yardage among all qualifying playoff WRs and fourth in catch rate (86.4%). His PFF grade of 84.3 also ranks fourth.
He’s been a reliable, sure-handed playmaker for his new team, and it’s the perfect blueprint of how he could look as a Saint. After a few seasons where it always seemed like the Saints were one or more talented offensive guys short, OBJ could be the guy to finally fill that void.
So while last season may not have been the right time for OBJ to come to the right place, maybe the 2022-2023 season is.
What do you think of Odell Beckham Jr.? Let us know in the comments. Make sure you follow Canal Street Chronicles on Twitter at @SaintsCSC, “Like” us on Facebook at Canal Street Chronicles, follow us on Instagram at @SaintsCSC, and make sure you’re subscribed to our new YouTube channel. As always, you can follow me on Twitter @AndrewBell_98.
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