The New England Patriots made changes to their pass-catching corps this offseason, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the team upgraded its set of playmakers for quarterback Mac Jones.

New England replaced wide receiver Jakobi Meyers with JuJu Smith Schuster, wide receiver Nelson Agholor with rookies Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas, tight end Jonnu Smith with Mike Gesicki and Anthony Firkser and running back Damien Harris with James Robinson.

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson, wide receivers Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker and Tyquan Thornton and tight end Hunter Henry all remain from a disappointing 2022 campaign for New England's offense.

It’s entirely possible that Smith-Schuster, Boutte, Douglas, Gesicki, Firkser and Robinson will be better fits for what new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien is running in New England. But none of those changes seem like a considerable upgrade to what the Patriots already had last season.

One way New England could ensure they were opening training camp with a better group of receiving options would be to sign DeAndre Hopkins, but that currently seems unlikely for a few reasons.

First, Hopkins would probably prefer to play elsewhere. The Patriots don’t have an elite quarterback, things ended awkwardly between O’Brien and Hopkins with the Houston Texans, and New England isn’t in serious contention to win a Super Bowl this season. So, if the choice is Hopkins’, then there’s no real reason why he would pick the Patriots over a team like the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs. One thing the Patriots do have going for them is ample future cap space. New England might not be able to absorb what Hopkins is seeking in free agency on their cap this year alone, but they have significant amounts of cap space in 2024 and 2025 to tack on void years or to sign him to a multi-year, backloaded contract. Then again, head coach Bill Belichick prefers a value when he’s adding veteran players. He has used void years in the past to sign cornerback Darrelle Revis and to keep safety Devin McCourty and quarterback Tom Brady around.

The Patriots could certainly find a way to add Hopkins to their offense, but he’d have to be replacing someone else. Stevenson, Smith-Schuster, Parker and Henry can pretty safely be slotted into a starting offense right now. And then time will tell who winds up emerging out of Bourne, Thornton and Gesicki for that fifth spot. It seems likely that Boutte and Douglas would take some time before being thrust into a major role as sixth-round picks.

If Hopkins entered the fold, then everyone else would essentially move down a spot. Hopkins would join Smith-Schuster, Stevenson and Henry in the guaranteed starter spots. And then Parker, Bourne, Thornton and Gesicki would all be competing for the fifth spot. And that would probably make Parker and/or Bourne expendable for a trade or release.

Such a move would obviously be worthwhile if Hopkins is the replacement. There would be some risk involved in acquiring Hopkins, however, which is why no one wanted to take on his $19 million salary in a trade and why the Arizona Cardinals had to release him on Friday. Hopkins will be 31 years old in June, he’s coming off of a PED suspension and hasn’t played a full season since 2020. Oh, and Odell Beckham Jr. just signed a one-year $15 million contract despite being far less of a guarantee. Unless the Baltimore Ravens significantly overbid for Beckham, then it’s hard to see Hopkins earning less than $15 million APY.

If the Patriots do sign Hopkins, the ensuing move would actually make the addition more palatable. Trading or releasing Parker would free up $6.2 million. Trading or releasing Bourne would free up $5.5 million. Both players are good values for their position, but they’d largely be expendable with Hopkins around, and it’s a significant amount of space that could be freed up.

All of this is to say that while yes, signing Hopkins seems like a longshot for the Patriots. But they certainly could find a way to fit him on the books.