Mike Florio’s reasoning for Odell Beckham-Patriots trade is absurd

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes the Patriots and Odell Beckham Jr. are a great fit, and we couldn’t disagree more.

The Patriots-Odell Beckham Jr. links made a triumphant return following the Pro Bowl wide receiver’s underwhelming showing in Week 1 with the Cleveland Browns as he managed just 22 yards on three receptions.

It was widely theorized that another full offseason would help bolster his rapport with quarterback Baker Mayfield, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. We say that despite his flashy performance against Cincinnati on Thursday night in which he tallied 74 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. The fact of the matter is that connecting for a long touchdown doesn’t mean their chemistry issues are fixed.

While Beckham claims to be happy and committed to the Browns, nobody really knows how he actually feels. Much like last season, this narrative has prompted the media to speculate if he’ll request a trade out of Cleveland.

The Patriots have long been an idealistic destination for the 27-year-old superstar, and we could counter with a list of reasons as to why it wouldn’t be a good fit. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, however, isn’t of that mindset. He believes New England is the perfect spot for OBJ and his logic behind that option is bizarre.

While he goes more in-depth beyond this, we can’t even say this is a reason:

"“The Patriots make the most sense, primarily because Beckham has made it pretty clear in the past that that’s where he wants to be.”"

So because that’s where OBJ wants to be traded, that’s why it makes sense? Everyone would like a lot of things, Mike. Does that mean it’s all a good fit?

"“A lot of teams would not be able to absorb Odell Beckham Jr. and get him to comply with the way they do things, because there’s that constant expectation you’re going to get him the ball, and I’m a firm believer in the quarterback throwing to the guy who’s open,” Florio said while talking with NBC Sports columnist Peter King on Friday.“But he’s craved this idea of going to New England. Now, once he gets there, if he gets there, he may feel differently about the Patriot Way and what it does to you, to break you down, to get you to comply, to get you to submit, to get you to quit thinking about your own individual accomplishments. I think he needs someone who’s gonna put it to him straight, who has the authority to get him to forget about how many catches he has and just focus on winning. He seems to be focused on winning.”"

Florio’s analysis fails to mention how Beckham would fit in the Patriots’ offensive scheme. The last time we checked, that’s a variable teams should probably consider when discussing a potential trade for a superstar playmaker, let alone one whose attitude is evidently contingent upon his target share.

There’s no denying that Beckham has made strides in the maturation department compared to his days with the New York Giants, but are we really supposed to believe that he’ll adopt the “Patriot Way,” which demands that players put aside individual accolades for team success?

Could OBJ’s friendship with quarterback Cam Newton potentially make that an easier transition for him? It’s certainly possible, but we wouldn’t count on it. For better or worse, Beckham is a player who is obsessed with making an impact for his team on a weekly basis. With the Patriots clearly shifting to a run-heavy offense this season, it would’ve made more sense for them to trade for him while Tom Brady was still running the show under center.

We understand where Florio is coming from (we think?), but him thinking that this pairing is the “best fit” is a bit strange.

Patriots: Latest Allen Robinson update is bad news for NE’s trade hopes

The latest update on Chicago Bears wideout Allen Robinson is bad news for the New England Patriots' trade hopes.