Hurley: If DeAndre Hopkins really wanted Patriots, wouldn't he have already signed?

BOSTON -- On Tuesday morning, Sal Paolantonio delivered what is unofficially the 3,687th update on the potential destination for free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

"I believe so," Paolantonio said when asked on ESPN Radio if Hopkins will end up signing with the Patriots.

Paolantonio cited the mutual interest between Hopkins and the Patriots, the team's need for a receiver, and Hopkins' familiarity with New England offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien.

That belief, though, was curbed a little bit.

"Carolina's lurking. Cleveland is lurking, for sure," Paolantonio said.

That's all well and good, and it generated some headlines and buzz on social media. But when you get down to it ... it's still a total non-update.

The reality is, Hopkins was in Foxboro in the middle of June. That free-agent visit came right after Hopkins had visited the Tennessee Titans. He left both places without a contract or an agreement, and reports indicated he will patiently wait for the right deal to come along. That offer may not come until training camps are underway around the league. In the meantime, seemingly nothing else has come across Hopkins' desk in terms of serious interest or intriguing offers.

All of which leads to this conclusion: If DeAndre Hopkins really liked what the Patriots were selling, and if DeAndre Hopkins really wanted to be a member of the New England Patriots ... then DeAndre Hopkins would currently be a member of the New England Patriots.

Is it not that simple?

There's mutual interest. There's a team need. There's familiarity. While we don't know for certain that contract terms were discussed when Hopkins visited Foxboro, we do know that he had some one-on-one time with Bill Belichick. For as appealing as it may be for a player to work for one of the greatest coaches of all time, some personal time with Belichick apparently wasn't enough to convince Hopkins to make a decision in June.

And make no mistake -- the Patriots have no reason to wait until training camp to sign Hopkins. With a new offensive coordinator working with a quarterback who's on his third OC in three years in the league, every minute counts with regard to everybody on offense learning the playbook and getting on the same page as soon as possible. JuJu Smith-Schuster suggested Patriots players should get a college degree for learning the playbook, so the team would certainly want Hopkins in the program yesterday if he's going to be a part of the 2023 season.

That's why it feels safe to deduce, based on all of the reporting, that Hopkins is simply hoping something better comes along. It's possible that he ends up in Foxboro after all, but if he does, it does not seem like it will have been his first choice. For the foreseeable future, it may be best for everybody to hold off on any updates until or if Hopkins actually makes a decision. For now, he's made his position clear enough.