Last Friday, the Rams agreed to terms with Odell Beckham Jr. on a one-year contract. Before the two sides finalized that deal, the Saints were legitimately in the sweepstakes for the All-Pro wide receiver.
The Saints were hoping Beckham would want to return to Louisiana and see what he can do in Sean Payton’s system.
While on The Dan Patrick Show this Thursday morning, Payton was asked how close the Saints were to signing Beckham. His response was quite interesting.
“I would say close,” Payton told Patrick. “The question was all along if L.A. had an opportunity that’s where he was going to go. I would say [Los Angeles wasn’t involved] until mid-way through the process.”
“I would say close. The question was all along if L.A. had an opportunity that’s where he was going to go. I would say [Los Angeles wasn’t involved] until mid-way through the process.” – Sean Payton on how close Saints were to signing Odell Beckham on @dpshow
— Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) November 18, 2021
Unfortunately for the Saints, the Rams managed to swoop in late and sign Beckham. It would’ve been really fun to see what Beckham could do as the top option for the Saints.
In his first game as a member of the Rams, Beckham had just two catches for 18 yards. His role in Sean McVay’s offense should expand as he gets more familiar with the playbook.
As for the Saints, they’ll have to find a way to keep their passing game afloat with Marquez Callaway, Deonte Harris and Tre’Quan Smith as their top wide receivers. That’s not an ideal scenario for Payton, but he has proven before that he can scheme his players open.
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