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DeAndre Hopkins’ two-day visit with Patriots reportedly ‘positive on both sides’
"Hopkins in New England, to me, could change the entire AFC East.”
DeAndre Hopkins’ extended visit with the Patriots this week seems to be going well.
According to MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels, the star receiver’s free-agent meeting with New England “has been positive on both sides”, citing a league source.
Hopkins posted a photo of him and Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon in the team’s locker room to his Instagram story Thursday evening.
Hopkins, who was cut by the Arizona Cardinals last month, has now visited the Titans and the Patriots.
According to Daniels, “it’s possible this could be his last” meeting with a team after wrapping up his time in Foxboro.
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Jeff Howe of The Athletic later added that even though there is “no deal at the moment,” there’s “still a level of optimism the two sides could reach an agreement.” Howe later tweeted that Hopkins is still staying in the area.
It’s easy to see why the Patriots would benefit from adding an All-Pro wideout like Hopkins to their roster.
Even though the 31-year-old was limited to just nine games last year with Arizona, he still reeled in 64 catches for 717 yards and three touchdowns.
Hopkins finished his third season in Arizona with 79.7 yards per game, the 10th-highest mark among all NFL wide receivers in 2022. Jakobi Meyers, the top Patriots receiving threat in 2022, ranked 32nd in that same category at 57.4 yards per game.
Adding a talented playmaker like Hopkins to New England’s offensive arsenal would give the Patriots their best chance yet at righting the ship after a dysfunctional 2022 campaign.
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Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum believes that Hopkins’ addition to New England’s receiving corps could shift the balance of power in a cutthroat AFC East.
“In Arizona, they averaged six more points per game in games he played,” Tannenbaum said of Hopkins on Thursday during ESPN’s “Get Up.” “Now, all of a sudden, you put DeAndre Hopkins at the top of that batting order. Now, [JuJu] Smith-Schuster becomes the two that he really is. Mike Gesicki, Hunter Henry — two really good tight ends — and a star at running back in Rhamondre Stevenson. A very good offense with a championship defense.
“That defense was third in defensive efficiency, it should be even better this year. I think this is the most intriguing storyline left in the NFL because Hopkins in New England, to me, could change the entire AFC East.”
According to OverTheCap.com, the Patriots still have $14.9 million in cap space this offseason, while the Titans have just $7.9 million in fiscal flexibility. Other rumored suitors like the Bills ($5.4 million) and Chiefs ($652,557) would need to overhaul parts of their roster in order to accommodate Hopkins’ new deal.
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Even though ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Hopkins might wait through the rest of June before deciding where to sign, the Patriots could accelerate that decision-making process if they put forth a significant offer.
However, ESPN’s Mike Reiss did report on Thursday evening that both Hopkins and the Patriots are “expected to take some time to assess their next steps” now that their meeting has concluded.
Earlier this week, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport echoed that a deal between the Patriots and Hopkins could benefit both parties.
“This one actually makes a ton of sense for both sides,” Rapoport said on NFL Network. “If you’re DeAndre Hopkins, you obviously have a ton of respect for Bill Belichick, they have conversed over the years on the field and otherwise. Is this a place where he can resurrect his career and show everyone he’s not just old and can’t get open.”
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