NFL Rumors: OBJ spurned Chiefs, Packers-Jordan Love future, Saints-Lattimore trade

The 2024 NFL Draft is now behind us but the offseason is still in full swing. Just this week already, we saw wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. join the high-octane Miami Dolphins offense as one of the best remaining free agents still available, but there continues to be rumors and buzz about potential trades, looming extensions, and much more. We've got your latest update on the NFL rumors that you need to know from around the league.

NFL Rumors: Saints GM not looking for Marshon Lattimore trade

Facing plenty of financial hardships this offseason, one of the possibilities at hand for the New Orleans Saints to potentially free themselves up a bit with the salary cap that was widely discussed was trading star cornerback Marshon Lattimore. The thought process was that getting out from under an expensive contract while younger players like Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor have emerged as confident options.

The speculation about a Lattimore trade, however, hit a new high after the draft as the Saints traded up in the second round to select former Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. That seemingly put the writing on the wall for a Lattimore trade to happen, but general manager Mickey Loomis doesn't seem to agree.

Loomis stated frankly that he and the Saints are "not actively trying to trade" the star cornerback. However, he did leave the door open saying that anyone in New Orleans is available for the right price in a trade.

There is a difference in "we aren't trading" and "not actively trying to trade". In fact, you could argue that Loomis' comments actually ring of a GM actually making an attempt to work the trade market for Lattimore, telling teams publicly that the Saints aren't looking to move the cornerback to try and drive up the price.

Having said that, these comments guarantee nothing in either direction. And with Loomis' caveat that Lattimore or anyone could be moved for an offer that couldn't be refused, the Lattimore trade situation continues to be one worth monitoring.

NFL Rumors: Packers 'motivated' to get Jordan Love extension done

After entering his first season as the Green Bay Packers starting quarterback and with a litany of question marks about a post-Aaron Rodgers world for this franchise, those questions have seemingly subsided entering year two of Jordan Love's starting tenure.

The Utah State product finished the 2023 season throwing for 4,159 yards with 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while converting 64.2% of his pass attempts. But his real ace in the hole was how he finished the year. Over his final eight games, Love threw for 2,150 yards with 18 touchdowns and only one interception, completing 70.25% of his throws and leading the Packers to a 6-2 record. He then helped upset the Cowboys in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs and nearly upended the 49ers in the Divisional Round.

It was apparently more than enough for Brian Gutekunst and the Packers front office to believe in the long-term future of Love as well. ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported on NFL Live that Green Bay is motivated to get an extension done with Jordan Love and that such a feeling is mutual, though the quarterback isn't in any rush.

"The sense is around the league is that Green Bay is motivated to do a deal, to do an extension with Jordan Love," Fowler said (h/t Bleacher Report). "I'm also told that Love's willing to be a little patient here because you're looking at a lot of quarterbacks who could get paid fairly soon. Jared Goff in Detroit, in Miami with Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville. Those will set an even higher market for a QB landscape that's above $50 million per year for some of these guys. And so if you're Jordan Love, you can sit back a little bit, but the feeling is that there's enough mutual interest for this to get done."

Prior to the start of last season, Love and the Packers worked out a deal that eschewed the fifth-year option and pays him $12.5 million in the 2024 season before the deal expires. As such, there is some clear urgency for getting this extension done, but there is also a game of chicken ongoing, as Fowler mentioned, with quarterbacks looking for new deals. Love could ultimately be a beneficiary of that, though, if negotiations last into the season and he continues his upward trajectory.

NFL Rumors: Odell Beckham Jr. pushed Chiefs aside to sign with Dolphins

As mentioned, Odell Beckham Jr. has signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, now set to run alongside Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in the lightning-fast Mike McDaniel offense. But what's more interesting is how things may have developed for OBJ and, more importantly, which suitors he pushed aside to land in South Beach.

Two of the teams interested in signing Beckham who he also considered signing with as well were two of the AFC's top contenders, the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported on Saturday's morning episode of SportsCenter that both teams were "in the mix" for OBJ but that the receiver spurned the reigning Super Bowl champs and the Josh Allen-led contender to join the Dolphins and bet on McDaniel and that offense.

"Odell Beckham is betting big on Mike McDaniel unlocking him," Fowler said (h/t Bleacher Report). "He wants to produce, and he still wants to be a prime target. He feels like the Dolphins can help him get there. Now, they had an upside package of a little over $8 million, so they came to a sweet spot there in the negotiation. There were some other teams in the mix. I was told Kansas City was appealing to Odell Beckham, Buffalo as well. But in the end, he believes this offense can still help him prove something. This is a player who put up less than 600 yards last year in Baltimore; probably didn't go the way he wanted. So, he's going to go be the third option, of course, behind Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, but he feels like there's enough footballs to go around."

To some degree, it's hard to fault Beckham for A. Wanting to be part of this prolific Dolphins offense and B. Wanting to live in Miami for at least the next year. At the same time, though, the reported logic from Fowler does raise some questions, specifically in regard to pushing the Chiefs aside to land in Miami.

With the rumors surrounding Rashee Rice's potential suspension, there should be plenty of opportunities in Andy Reid's offense to go around beyond Marquise Brown and incoming first-round pick Xavier Worthy. Beckham very conceivably could've been a priority option in the Chiefs offense, most notably getting a defined upgrade to play with Patrick Mahomes instead of Tua Tagovailoa.

At any rate, this could all work out well for the Chiefs, the Dolphins and for Beckham. But it is a bit odd that the receiver ultimately considered Kansas City a secondary option in this scenario as it played out.