Odell Beckham Was 'Very Close' to Signing Saints, Patriots Contracts Before Rams Deal

Odell Beckham Jr. considered returning to his home state before he decided to join the Los Angeles Rams this season.

Beckham, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told reporters Monday he was "very close" to signing with the New Orleans Saints following his departure from the Cleveland Browns.

"It just didn’t feel like the right time," he said. "Right place. Wrong time."

Beckham expressed a similar sentiment about the New England Patriots, confirming he spoke with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick:

The three-time Pro Bowler cleared waivers on Nov. 9 and ESPN's Dianna Russini reported one day later the Saints were emerging as one of three finalists to sign him.

Between growing up in the state and later playing for LSU, the opportunity to call New Orleans his professional home was probably tantalizing.

Competitively, though, the Saints didn't have a whole lot going for them at the time, at least for a player who presumably wanted to sign for a contender. Jameis Winston had been lost for the season to a torn ACL, so a 5-3 record was undercut by Trevor Siemian serving as the starting quarterback.

New Orleans wound up winning four of its final five games, but that wasn't enough to clinch a playoff berth.

The absence of Michael Thomas meant Beckham might have occupied a larger role in the Saints offense than he had with the Rams. In eight games with Los Angeles, he had 27 receptions for 305 yards and five touchdowns. His 38.1 receiving yards per game were more than half of his career average (76.7).

But Beckham didn't select the Rams because they could promise him the most touches. Instead, Los Angeles has provided him the collective success he couldn't attain with the Browns and New York Giants.

If the 29-year-old had to do his free agency all over again, it's difficult to see why he'd do anything differently.