DeAndre Hopkins may not make tremendous sense for Patriots
BOSTON -- In terms of roster moves, we're in the quietest portion of the NFL offseason -- unless you count Yodny Cajuste signing with the Jets as headline news.
That silence has contributed to so much amplification of DeAndre Hopkins, as a five-time All-Pro receiver becoming a free agent in late May is certainly something that's going to get the NFL world buzzing.
And because the Patriots and Bill Belichick still carry a certain level of cachet, we've seen quite a bit of rumors, reports, and speculation surrounding a potential move to Foxboro for the soon-to-be-31-year-old Hopkins.
That, however, may not make a whole lot of sense. At least, not if some unnamed NFL executives are speaking the truth.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer spoke to three unnamed NFL execs, and one offered up a description of Hopkins. The picture painted was not one that would seemingly fly in New England under Belichick.
"Does not love to practice -- I can't imagine that'll get any better," the executive told Breer. "And when things don't go well, you're always gonna be leery, All right, what kind of drama are we gonna get from this guy? When things are great, he's great. When things go south, his true colors show a little bit. But he always shows up on game day. He's gonna have to go to a team that knows what they're getting. You cannot expect a perfect-attendance type of worker."
Another exec didn't have the most glowing of recommendations, either, simply saying, "Not much [left]. He can't run anymore."
From his conversations, Breer deduced that Hopkins would be best suited to join a team that won't rely on him "either as a player or in team leadership." Breer also estimated that Hopkins will end up making about half of the $19.45 million he was scheduled to make with Arizona this year, which would make him one of the five highest-paid players on the Patriots if he were to sign in New England. Hopkins' production has dipped significantly over the past two seasons. After a strong debut season with Arizona in 2020 (115 receptions, 1,407 yards, six touchdowns, Second Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl), he's averaged 53 receptions and 645 yards in each of the last two seasons, while missing 15 games due to a hamstring injury, a torn MCL, and a PED suspension.
Taken together, it doesn't sound like a move that Belichick would jump to make, despite having a great appreciation for the type of player that Hopkins has been throughout his career.