Patriots: Making the case for signing DeAndre Hopkins after visit
Cue the Michael Scott “it’s happening” GIF: All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins reportedly is scheduled to visit the New England Patriots next week. The fit looked unlikely at first for a few reasons, from Hopkins’ potential price tag and what he sought in a future team to his history with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. But […]
Cue the Michael Scott “it’s happening” GIF: All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins reportedly is scheduled to visit the New England Patriots next week.
The fit looked unlikely at first for a few reasons, from Hopkins’ potential price tag and what he sought in a future team to his history with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. But last week, a source told A to Z Sports that New England was indeed interested in Hopkins and would monitor his market. So, the visit doesn’t come as a major surprise.
Some thoughts on a potential union:
- Hopkins is a five-time Pro Bowl selection, three-time first-team All-Pro and two-time second-team All-Pro. He’s one of the best wide receivers of the decade and would enter New England as the team’s top pass catcher.
- With that out of the way, Hopkins just turned 31 and hasn’t played a full season since 2020. He missed time last season with injuries and a PED suspension. His 2021 season ended early due to a torn MCL.
- So, Hopkins would come with some modicum of risk. That’s why it’s important not to sign to him to a top-of-market deal. No teams were willing to trade for Hopkins and his $19-plus million salary before the Cardinals were forced to cut him. His base salary was projected by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer at around half of that $19M mark with added incentives.
- The Baltimore Ravens signed wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year, $15 million contract with added incentives. Beckham is five months younger than Hopkins, missed all of last season with a torn ACL, hasn’t played a full season since 2019 and was never as consistent as Hopkins. If the Patriots could get Hopkins for as much or less than the Ravens signed Beckham, then it’s a relative bargain. Hopkins is the safer player.
- The Patriots have just under $14.3 million in salary-cap space. They aren’t going to want to use it all on one player. But they could fit a deal with Breer’s projections under their cap if the incentives are not likely to be earned, which after last season would be easy to do. Hopkins caught 64 passes for 717 yards with three touchdowns in nine games last season. The incentives could be based on any of those metrics or playing time and as long as they’re higher than what Hopkins hit last season, then they would be considered not likely to be earned and wouldn’t hit the salary cap until 2024.
- The Patriots also could sign Hopkins to a multi-year deal to lower his 2023 cap hit. They also could tack on void years to lower his cap hit. New England can very easily make things work without making any other moves.
- But bringing aboard Hopkins could also allow New England to trade or release a wide receiver to create additional cap space. Trading or cutting DeVante Parker would free up $6.2 million in cap space, while cutting or trading Kendrick Bourne would open up over $5.4 million in cap space.
- New England wouldn’t need Parker, Bourne and Hopkins in their wide receiver corps and could easily let go of Parker or Bourne since they also have JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas, Tre Nixon, Raleigh Webb and Ed Lee under contract. Keeping Hopkins, Smith-Schuster, Parker, Bourne, Thornton plus one or two rookies seems excessive, and one of the veterans could go. And that’s especially true when you add in veteran tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki.
- Depth is great, but there are only so many pass-catching spots in an offensive personnel grouping when running back Rhamondre Stevenson needs to eat too. The “starters” would be Hopkins, Smith-Schuster, Henry and Stevenson. And then that fifth spot would be a revolving door between Gesicki, Parker, Thornton, Bourne, Boutte, Douglas and whomever else.
- A Hopkins addition wouldn’t necessarily put the Patriots in Super Bowl contention, but it would make the AFC East an even closer race. The Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets all look like playoff teams. Hopkins would add a legitimate receiving threat for quarterback Mac Jones. And while maybe the Patriots wouldn’t suddenly have one of the top receiving groups in the NFL, they’d at least enter the conversation with Hopkins, Smith-Schuster, Henry and so much depth behind them.
- It’s valuable that Hopkins knows O’Brien’s offense. Players like Hopkins can typically fit in anywhere and adapt, but it’s still an added benefit.
- Hopkins has never really relied on his speed or athleticism, so it’s certainly possible that he’s a player that could age well into his 30s.
- The Patriots have had varying degrees of success with adding older veteran players. Things went great with Randy Moss, Corey Dillon and Darrelle Revis. They’ve had other misses, like Albert Haynesworth and Joey Galloway, as well. But the Patriots have a very good pro scouting department and typically know which veteran players fit the mold.
- All in all, this is very much worth a shot for the Patriots. Hopkins can still be a very good player in the NFL and would immediately become the team’s top playmaker. Adding O’Brien, Hopkins, Smith-Schuster and Gesicki in one offseason would allow New England to truly see what they have in Jones as they get set to decide whether or not to pick up his fifth-year option next year.
Featured image via Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
