DeAndre Hopkins‘ visit with the Patriots has come to an end, and it sounds like there’s serious interest from both sides. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that there’s “definitely intrigue from player and team” following the meeting. Meanwhile, Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets that the Patriots are “making a push” for the free agent wideout. Hopkins posted about the visit on Instagram, posting a picture of himself and Matt Judon with the caption “La Familia” (per ESPN’s Mike Reiss).
It sounds like there’s some building optimism towards a deal. Howe notes that while Hopkins “has departed Gillette Stadium,” he’s still remaining local. There was a report earlier this week that Hopkins could consider additional visits following his scheduled stops in Tennessee and New England. However, no definitive additional suitors have emerged since that time, so Hopkins’ choice may come down to the Titans and Patriots.
Fowler previously reported that Hopkins has been in no rush to sign with a team and could wait until closer to training camp to ink a deal (via Reiss). The Patriots are also set to be off for a month after finishing their offseason program tomorrow.
Hopkins would be an intriguing addition to a receivers corps that lacks a clear number one WR. The Patriots let Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor walk this offseason, adding receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki to a grouping of targets that also includes DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, and tight end Hunter Henry.
While Hopkins will be entering his age-31 season in 2023, he’d still provide more upside than any of the team’s current options. The veteran missed a chunk of games due to suspension in 2022, but he still managed to finish the year with 64 catches for 717 yards and three touchdowns. His 79.7 yards per game was a massive improvement from his 2021 campaign (57.2 ypg), and his 2022 average would have led the Patriots by a significant margin.
While a Hopkins signing could come at the expense of one of the team’s current wideouts, it’d still be a massive addition in what will be a crucial year for Mac Jones. The quarterback flashed his first-round pedigree during his rookie campaign, but after the Patriots replaced Josh McDaniels with former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia (plus a sprinkle of former ST coordinator Joe Judge), Jones took a step back in 2022. The Patriots will have to make a decision on the QB’s fifth-year option following the 2023 season, so it’s crucial that the organization puts him in a position to succeed before making the commitment.
“I think DeAndre is a great player. You watch his film from college all the way through the NFL, he’s done a great job. So obviously we’d love to have him, but we do have a great group of guys,” Jones said earlier this week (via Reiss).
“I’ve been really pleased with the playmakers we have on the team; we’ve come out here and really bought into the system. We have a good group and I feel like we need to keep growing together and whoever is in that room, we’re going to try to dominate together.”
While considering the merits of adding Hopkins to their team, the Patriots will also have to consider that they haven’t gotten an extended look at their major FA acquisition. Per Mike Giardi (on Twitter), Smith-Schuster has been dealing with “physical ailments” throughout minicamp and has spoken to “how challenging this playbook is to learn.” The learning curve is one thing, but Giardi notes that the injuries are especially concerning since the Chiefs were forced to manage the veteran for the second half of last season. The Patriots will be counting on Smith-Schuster to replace some of the production lost when Meyers left for Las Vegas, and if there’s any doubt about his availability for all 17 games, there might be some added urgency to add to the depth chart.
Real question- when’s the last time an oft injured, declining 31 year old receiver who still provides alot of “upside” turned in a productive season for a new team?
Oft injured? He only missed time in ’21 for injury. I wouldn’t call that “oft injured”. The time he missed last season was suspension and iirc, healthy inactive the last 2 games of the year when the Cards’ season was over
He had 64 receptions and 717 yrs last yr…..in a half season. Nuk is still a top tier receiver, even at 31.
Randy Moss was 30 years old and coming off a disastrous year in Oakland where he caught a career-low 42 passes for 553 yards and three touchdowns.First year with the Pats: 98 catches, 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Jordy Nelson, after being out all 2015 with a knee injury, had 1257 and 14 TDs in 2016.
Larry Fitzgerald also had a bounce back season.
It happens with the great ones more than you’d think, if they’re used properly.
Both had great QBs throwing the ball. Big difference here…
Pats fans still think Mac Jones is good, be nice.
He didn’t ask about the QB situation, just which ones had been productive.
It’s a gamble. A one-year deal if the Hopkins physical checks out would make sense. At OBJ money, not Justin Jefferson money.
I thought the Patriots had extra money after Goodell curtailed Belichick’s spending on surveillance equipment.
Rookie mistake by the Phoenix GM. If he does it again next year he should be replaced.
Really hoped Titans would go all in, not because Hopkins is the missing piece, but because it’s our biggest need and we can.
Patriots just don’t make sense to me though. He’ll prob get more targets on Titans, and financial offers gotta be around the same?? Would think Tannehill is safer bet also.
Hopkins makes more sense for the Patriots than the Patriots do for Hopkins.
However, the list of teams willing to push for Hopkins is limited at this point. Hopkins is visiting the second tier teams on his list, as it seems, because he publically made it known that he preferred Kansas City and/or Buffalo, who are the AFC’s top contenders. The Titans are contenders as well, and the Patriots are in a limbo position where they’re not a top team, but had a better record last year than they have been given credit for and could improve exponentially.
Both have more cap room than the cash strapped Chiefs (less than $1 million) and the Bills (about $5 million). Tennessee doesn’t have much more than Buffalo, though, at $7 million. The Pats? Much more, sitting at almost $15 million. The fact that Hopkins left Tennessee without a deal and is in New England toying with one tells me that salary is in fact important to him, even if he would also like to be with a winning team. Hopkins is willing to make the gamble that the offensive coordinator change in New England is enough to make them contenders, plus his familiarity with the system would flatten the learning curve. New England can offer more, which might make it the best combination of money to wins in any of his options.
From Bew England’s perspective, they need Hopkins not just as a playmaker, but as someone who knows how to be a volume receiver. They also need veterans, because they are implementing a notoriously complex offense from the ground up. Hopkins additionally should at least have familiarity with O’Brien’s language, and probably many of his plays. In addition, Jones needs help reestablishing his own play, and lost two of his receivers that he had familiarity with. Hopkins also would help the Patriots’ free agent profile, at least in theory, if he performs well. I have though that New England would be the most likely place for Hopkins to end up for some time now, but I think that is more the result of New England’s push than Hopkins’. Hopkins probably reciprocated, and there are things that work for him there, but New England stands to gain more than he does from the arrangement.
“New England stands to gain more than he does from the arrangement”.
I think the marketing department would agree with you since they only sold about two N’Keal Harry jerseys.
Why did it take me this long to realize when this site has “latest” in the headline, it usually means “nothing new to see here”?