Saints named the best fit for a superstar receiver that’s still available

With veteran receiver Michael Thomas currently searching for a new team, the New Orleans Saints need to find a quality receiver to replace one of the best wideouts in franchise history. New Orleans has the young Chris Olave as the teams No. 1, and he’ll be supported by Rashid Shaheed, A.T. Perry, and the recently signed Cedrick Wilson Jr. However, that’s not enough.

The Saints need to add more and they likely will throughout the offseason. As always is the case, the wide receiver group in the 2024 NFL Draft is deep. New Orleans could definitely find a talented receiver during the draft. The Saints could also sign a veteran, as there are several quality veteran receivers still available.

In fact, New Orleans was recently named as the best fit for one of the top available wide receivers. In a recent piece for ESPN, Bill Barnwell explained the perfect team for the 20 best unsigned players. One of those players were wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and the Saints were named a perfect fit for him.

Saints named the perfect fit for Odell Beckham Jr.

Barnwell said you could call him a romantic if you want, but he believes Odell coming home is the perfect way for the electric receiver to “wind down his NFL career.” Born in Baton Rouge, Odell Beckham Jr. starred at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans before going on to LSU to become a star. Becoming a sensation in the NFL, Beckham has played for four different teams, but not his hometown team.

Beyond the fairytale story of it all, Barnwell also argues that it makes a ton of football sense, saying Beckham would be the perfect fit to the rotation behind Chris Olave. Surely, some fans would have hesitations and point out that Beckham isn’t the receiver he once was and frequently deals with injuries. That may be true, but he’s still a productive weapon.

In 2023, Beckham played in 14 games, catching 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns. Barnwell pointed out that he did that while playing in a limited role with the Baltimore Ravens, playing just 50% of the team’s offensive snaps. When on the field, Beckham was productive, and that’s what teams should consider if they want to give him a bigger role than he had this last season.

The question, though, is if Odell wants to play for the Saints. The expectations is that Beckham will find his way to a top contender; there are quite a few teams better set up to contend for a Super Bowl than the Saints. Beyond that, money will also be a factor. Will Odell Beckham Jr. give the Saints a hometown discount? If he’s willing to do that, and open to returning to Louisiana, the Saints should definitely make it happen.

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