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At one point the New England Patriots seemed in contention for star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins but now it looks like New England is out on the wide receiver.
According to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, barring a shift in how the Patriots conduct business, Hopkins won’t be coming to New England.
“With a new Cardinals regime, headed by GM Monti Ossenfort and coach Jonathan Gannon, rival teams know Hopkins would be a salary dump, which significantly reduces his trade value,” Howe wrote. “That’s why teams like the Patriots, who had an early conversation with the Cardinals, don’t plan to pursue him unless there’s a substantial change in philosophy, according to a league source.”
Hopkins is coming off an impressive 2022 season where he racked up 64 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns in just nine games played per Pro Football Reference.
Another NFL Insider Believes the Patriots Won’t Acquire DeAndre Hopkins
Howe isn’t the only NFL insider who believes New England will pass on Hopkins. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer appeared on NBC Sports Boston and stated that he doesn’t anticipate Hopkins joining the Patriots.
“I don’t think that anybody in the organization anticipates it happening,” Breer said. “I think part of it is all of this comes along with DeAndre Hopkins — he doesn’t practice, there’s been attitude issues in the past, and there’s been a clash in particular with Bill O’Brien. I just think that they see this as a bridge too far right now.”
At 30 years old, Hopkins’ time in the NFL is closer to reaching its end than its beginning. Still, he had a successful 2022 campaign and would be a massive addition to New England’s wide receiver room.
All Eyes in New England Turn to Jerry Jeudy
While the Patriots signed JuJu Smith-Schuster, the team is always looking to improve. After the departure of Jakobi Meyers, New England’s depth at wide receiver took a hit.
Breer believes that Jerry Jeudy makes a lot more sense for the Pats.
“I think they need to bring in somebody who at least has the potential to grow into a No. 1, which is why I looked at Jerry Jeudy as being a really, really good option,” Breer said. “Because if you look at it, the way they’re set up right now, it feels like the offense is set up for Tom Brady to come in and save the day, and Tom Brady’s not here anymore.
“And you look at young quarterbacks and when they’ve really come of age, Josh Allen had Stefon Diggs, Patrick Mahomes had Tyreek Hill, Justin Herbert had Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, Joe Burrow had Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase,” Breer added. “Like, this is the window when you do that. This is the window when you go and get creative and you find a No. 1 whether it’s through the draft or on the veteran market either by trade or free agency. I can see why they wouldn’t go after Hopkins given all the issues they had last year, but I think you have to find a way creatively to go find your No. 1.”
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