Next Pats Podcast: Why Patriots should pursue Odell Beckham Jr. trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The 2021 NFL trade deadline came and went without the New England Patriots making a major move.
The Patriots have won back-to-back games for the first time all season following their 27-24 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8. They are just a half-game out of the No. 6 and 7 seeds in the AFC playoff race as a result.
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Even though the Patriots can't make any trades for the remainder of the 2021 campaign, it's never too early to look ahead to the offseason and what moves the team could potentially pull off to improve the roster.
Curran: Pats inactivity at the deadline suggests they have what they need
On the latest episode of NBC Sports Boston's Next Pats Podcast with Phil Perry, former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich made the case for why New England should pursue a trade for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
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"I honestly think they should try to go get Odell Beckham Jr., because if you add him to the offense, I think it helps them drastically," Ninkovich said. "It helps the young quarterback, it helps the running game and your other wide receivers. I think he would be available, it looks like he could move. He probably wouldn't be as costly as a pass rusher. That's my take on it. You add Odell to this offense and people are like, 'What are you talking about?' I don't think Odell is an issue. I think he plays hard. I think he just wants the ball like any wideout does -- they just want to catch the ball and have it thrown to them.
"We've seen Mac Jones spread the ball out so much in the last three weeks -- (Odell) would get his touches and would be happy with a team that has Bill Belichick as your head coach. I think in the past, when you're playing for other coaches that aren't there very long and there's constant change at that position and you're getting a new head coach and offensive coordinator every couple years, there's some stability here (in New England) when it comes to Belichick and Josh McDaniels.
Next Pats Podcast: Rob Ninkovich: Patriots NEED to go get Odell Beckham Jr. | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Despite the Patriots' inactivity at the trade deadline, Ninkovich is confident the they can compete for a playoff spot in the AFC and even give the Buffalo Bills some competition for the division title.
"I think they're going to be OK," Ninkovich said. "They're going to continue to get better as the season progresses and learn what goes well together and which packages work. You start thinning out things that don't work, and let's continue to build this thing. ... They have everything in front of them at 4-4. They can still win the division. Right now it's a one team division. You look at Miami and the Jets (struggling), it's a one-team division between (the Patriots) and the Bills. That's it."
Also in this episode: Perry and Ninkovich discuss whether the Patriots will regret not trading for a cornerback, the state of the team's pass rush, and much more!
