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Do the Saints Need OBJ?

Odell Beckham Jr. is a hot topic among Saints fans right now, especially with the Jarvis Landry recruiting campaign. Does New Orleans even need him?

John Hendrix

Saints fans have undoubtedly paid close attention to social media, especially after Jarvis Landry responded to a tweet that had suggested a potential reunion with Odell Beckham Jr. now that he and Tyrann Mathieu are back home. 

Of course, some of this started when Beckham Jr. responded to Landry's Instagram post about coming home. He replied, "TAKEEEE MEEEE HOMEEEEEE SLIMEEEEE!!!!!". Landry even told WWL Radio that he was trying his best to recruit him.

It's been fun seeing the various reactions to him potentially coming to the Saints. Here's a few factors to consider for New Orleans while asking the big question: Do the Saints need Odell Beckham Jr.?

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Oct 21, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) walks on the field during warmups before the game against the Denver Broncos at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

WASN'T SO LONG AGO: New Orleans was a potential suitor for Beckham Jr. after becoming a free agent when the Browns granted his release. They needed his help, and there was big interest, but he chose the right team in the Rams. It wasn't a hard sell catching passes from Matthew Stafford over Trevor Siemian. However, he revealed in the offseason that he was very close to signing with the Saints. 

Beckham Jr. said, “It just didn’t feel like the right time. Right place, wrong time.”

Seems like things might have changed for the better since then.

WHERE HE STANDS IN RECOVERY: Remember that Beckham Jr. tore his ACL in the Super Bowl on a non-contact play. He had successful surgery on Feb. 22 to repair it, and may not be ready to play until November or December. This will be something to keep an eye on, and if he doesn't latch on somewhere soon, he'll be in a position to join a real contender when it's time.

OTHER TEAM INTEREST: The Packers and Colts are among the teams who would also be interested in Beckham Jr., and that's also not including him going back to the Rams. He'll undoubtedly play a more prominent role in Green Bay and Indianapolis, as their receiving corps isn't strong. It feels like those teams would throw more money at him because of that, and New Orleans won't be stopped because of financials, but there certainly would be some type of walking away point.

THE FALLOUT: Adding Beckham Jr. would most likely push out another wide receiver like Marquez Callaway or Tre'Quan Smith. Deonte Harty seems to have a carved out role, but it will be interesting to see if undrafted rookie Rashid Shaheed can give him a run. If something were to happen now and Beckham Jr. is ahead of schedule, New Orleans could hypothetically deal Callaway or Smith ahead of the NFL Trade deadline.

COULD IT WORK? You have an opportunity to have a killer group at wide receiver, something that hasn't been strong for a bit. Some of that was because of injuries and such, but it would work. The whole 'there's too many mouths to feed' isn't a problem when you're winning games. The fact that players like Jarvis Landry have singled out Jameis Winston as a reason for joining the Saints in a post-Drew Brees and Sean Payton era is quite interesting.

While you never hope for it and don't necessarily plan for it, injuries are also a part of the game. The good thing is that New Orleans is in a nice spot right now in terms of depth. Unlike last season, one injury to a superstar wouldn't completely kill the team and production.

It'll be fascinating to see what happens if the Saints do land Odell Beckham Jr. and how it would all work. For now, we sit and wait to see what the team does in the meantime with some more pressing positions.

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John Hendrix
JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net