NFL
By: Steve Atkinson
DeAndre Hopkins is about to make a free agent visit to the Patriots next week. Let me tell you that is a complete Robert Kraft and Bill O’Brien move. Kraft will pay Hopkins whatever it takes to get Mac a number one receiver and compete in a tough division. Josh Allen has Stefon Diggs, Tua has Tyreek Hill, and the Jets just got Aaron Rodgers. The Patriots are decent but DeAndre Hopkins will take them over the top.
Hopkins is a Randy Moss Terrell Owens type for sure. He is good when he’s right but when things go south he does quit which we saw in Houston and Arizona. He has experience with the Bill O’Brien offense in Houston and O’Brien is open to bringing in Hopkins to help Mac Jones. DeAndre Hopkins can give Jones that jump he didn’t get a chance to have last year because of the offensive coaching staff.
If this was solely up to Bill Belichick I don’t think Bill O’Brien would be here and they wouldn’t even be in the running for Hopkins. But because Kraft wants people to realize what they have in Mac Jones Hopkins can give Mac that opportunity to succeed.
So who is the odd man out of Hopkins does come to the Patriots? You could say DeVante Parker or Kendrick Bourne. But I doubt it when you could have Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, and Tyquan Thornton as your receivers. Then Mike Gesicki and Hunter Henry as your tight ends. Maybe if Trent Brown wants out you cut him. That is a pretty good offense for Mac to succeed so people aren’t chanting for the backup and the Felger and Mazz show aren’t getting excited when Zappe speaks.
Hopkins has said he wants to go to a place with a good quarterback, and desire to win. But it’s obvious if the Patriots offer the most money Hopkins will come here. Mac Jones is a better quarterback than Kyler Murray, and the Patriots receivers are better than the Cardinals ones anyway.
DeAndre Hopkins Could Land With The Patriots
Early on in the process it was rumored the Bills or Chiefs would be interested in signing Hopkins but they can’t offer him what he wants. So he’s probably not going to Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes.
The teams are down to two the Titans and Patriots. Does he go to the Titans to reunite with Mike Vrabel who was an assistant with Houston or does DeAndre Hopkins reunite with O’Brien and his offense. We will see what happens.
Then it comes to why did the Patriots wait so long to bring him in when they could’ve earlier in the off-season and had him during OTA’s. The answer is because the Patriots were waiting to see his market and now that his market is thin there is an opportunity to grab him now rather than earlier in the off-season.
He will be invested if the money is good I don’t know if he will play for incentives. The Patriots love doing that in contracts over guaranteed money. But this time will Kraft make the exception?
Possibly, since 2020 the Patriots receivers rank 24th in receptions, 26th in receiving yards, and tied for 30th in receiving touchdowns. They really haven’t had a dynamic receiver on offense since 2019 with Julian Edelman. Tom Brady’s final year in New England which makes Mac Jones rookie season even more impressive with real coaching. Now, if they do land DeAndre Hopkins that could give the Patriots and Mac Jones the receiver, they need for the first time since 2019. That would be huge.
