Getty Bill O'Brien can help Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots sign DeAndre Hopkins.
DeAndre Hopkins joining the New England Patriots this offseason has appeared far-fetched because of the presence of Bill O’Brien. The latter traded Hopkins from the Houston Texans to the Arizona Cardinals in 2020, but a positive report indicates there’s “no animosity at all” between O’Brien and the player set to visit the Patriots.
Hopkins’ serene relationship with his former head coach was reported by ESPN’s Dianna Russini, who also provided details about the wide receiver’s upcoming schedule in New England.
DeAndre Hopkins is expected to visit with the Patriots later today and tomorrow morning, per sources.
For those who have raised some concerns about Pats offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and Hopkins past relationship in Houston, sources have shared there’s no animosity at all.
It’s a positive update for the Patriots, who need Hopkins to add an infusion of elite talent to a suspect receiver corps. Head coach Bill Belichick added Juju Smith-Schuster in free agency, but five-time Pro-Bowler Hopkins would immediately become the de factor No. 1 target for under-pressure quarterback Mac Jones in returning offensive coordinator O’Brien’s schemes.
Bill O’Brien’s Presence Could Help Patriots Win DeAndre Hopkins Race
Hopkins was officially released by the Cardinals on Friday, May 26, immediately sparking a race to secure his signature in free agency. The 31-year-old’s tour of the veteran market has already taken in a visit with the Tennessee Titans, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Free-agent WR DeAndre Hopkins is slated to fly to Nashville on Sunday for a visit with the #Titans, per sources.
D-Hop and Mike Vrabel were together in Houston. Now Vrabel’s team gets the first visit with Hopkins, the five-time Pro Bowl pick released by Arizona last month.
If the Patriots are going to outdo the Titans, O’Brien will be key to upsetting his former AFC South rivals. Their past dealings weren’t always amicable, but a former Texans’ assistant thinks a Hopkins and O’Brien reunion would work.
John Perry spent three seasons as Hopkins’ position coach from 2017-19, and he told MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels how “adult relationships are always complicated no matter what you do. But the thing is when you look at DeAndre Hopkins and his relationship with Coach O’Brien, both of them brought out the best in each other.”
O’Brien and Hopkins bringing out the best in one another is the key point. D-Hop logged five of his six 1,000-yard seasons on O’Brien’s watch in Houston.
Those seasons included three campaigns when Hopkins topped the 100-catch mark. He was the alpha weapon for O’Brien, who moved the dynamic pass-catcher all over the field to create favorable matchups in coverage.
A great example came against the Buffalo Bills during the Wild Card Playoffs following the 2019 season. Moving Hopkins into the slot helped him avoid All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White and created mismatches for the Texans’ best receiver to exploit, per Next Gen Stats.
DeAndre Hopkins has aligned in the slot on 86% of plays in 1st quarter (30% during regular season), avoiding Tre’Davious White on the outside.
Hopkins Routes Against:
Taron Johnson – 3
Dean Marlowe – 2
Micah Hyde – 2
Tre’Davious White – 1
Varying Hopkins’ alignment wasn’t something the Cardinals did often enough, with Week 7’s game against the New Orleans Saints last season a rare exception.
More on DeAndre Hopkins:
Hopkins caught a reception from four different receiver alignments (left wide & slot, right wide & slot). Hopkins had a reception from three different alignments across ALL of last season (0 targets at right slot in 2021).
Keeping Hopkins on the move helps him be more effective, and O’Brien knows how to make it happen. The 53-year-old’s creativity has already impressed several incumbent members of the Patriots’ offense.
Jones has applauded O’Brien giving him more responsibility to direct a flexible system, per Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston: “It’s all about your toolbox. That’s what’s so great about the system. You use it as a quarterback. The most is put on you, but that’s a good thing because you have tools to fix it.”
Hopkins knows all about how the O’Brien system can boost a player’s numbers. If time has healed some old wounds, O’Brien can help the Patriots win a race Jones and Belichick absolutely need them to win.
Stakes High for Patriots in DeAndre Hopkins Sweepstakes
Entering the season with the current contingent of wide receivers would increase the pressure on Jones and Belichick. Both need to prove they can breathe new life into an offense that’s become stale in recent seasons.
Jones needs better weapons to help him improve 2022’s modest 65.2 completion percentage and 84.8 rating, per Pro Football Reference. Unfortunately for Jones, holes are already appearing in his revamped supporting cast.
Smith-Schuster has missed valuable offseason practices with injury, while second-year man Tyquan Thornton is dealing with a “soft-tissue” problem, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Jones needs all of his key targets on the field and getting up to speed with the O’Brien playbook. Hopkins wouldn’t have to travel so steep a learning curve, but he’d need to quickly forge a rapport with a signal-caller struggling to prove he’s starter material.
Belichick has bet on Jones, and it’s quite the risk for a coach who has struggled to win since Tom Brady left town in 2020. The Pats have missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, with lacklustre offense to blame.
Those struggles must disappear if Belichick’s team is going to be a factor in an ultra-competitive AFC East, where Aaron Rodgers makes the New York Jets contenders, while the high-powered Miami Dolphins remain a major threat.
Signing Hopkins and having him renew what was once a prolific partnership with O’Brien would instantly make the Patriots viable in the division again.