DeAndre Hopkins picks Titans over Patriots, so what’s next in New England?
Free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is expected to sign with the Tennessee Titans, according to AtoZ Sports’ Doug Kyed.
Hopkins’ only known suitors were the Patriots and Titans. Both teams hosted him on a free-agent visit in June after his release from Arizona in late May. According to ESPN, Tennessee made a “more aggressive” contract offer.
Per the NFL Network, Hopkins has agreed to a 2-year, $26 million deal worth up to $32 million with incentives.
In nine games last season, Hopkins caught 64 passes for 717 yards and three touchdowns. He has four 1,000-yard seasons over the past six years. Hopkins, 31, started his career in Houston from 2013-19, including a six-year stretch under current Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. Hopkins spent his last three seasons with the Cardinals, who are currently undergoing a regime change.
Over his career, he’s made five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams.
During his New England visit, Hopkins posted a picture of himself and Patriots outside linebacker Matt Judon from the team’s locker room to Instagram. He added the words “La Familia,” as a nod to their friendship. Two days earlier during minicamp, Judon opted to steer clear of the Hopkins conversation while other teammates endorsed the idea of signing him.
“DeAndre Hopkins is a free agent. If I know him as a friend or as a confidant it doesn’t matter,” Judon said. “He’s a great player. He did amazing things and wherever he lands, he lands. If it’s here, it’s here. Then we can talk about him.”
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was one of those players who approved of adding Hopkins, saying the team would “love to have him.”
“I think DeAndre is a great player. You watch his film from college all the way through the NFL, he’s done a great job. So obviously we’d love to have him, but we do have a great group of guys,” Jones said at the start of minicamp. “I’ve been really pleased with the playmakers we have on the team; we’ve come out here and really bought into the system.
“We have a good group and I feel like we need to keep growing together and whoever is in that room, we’re going to try to dominate together.”
In May, Pats coach Bill Belichick confirmed the team had interest in Hopkins but declined to offer specifics.
Without Hopkins, the team’s best wide receivers are JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton. The Patriots also drafted sixth-round rookies Demario Douglas and Kayshone Boutte. In free agency, the Pats opted to sign Smith-Schuster over last season’s leading target, Jakobi Meyers, who left for a team-friendly deal with the Raiders.
Smith-Schuster did not participate in any OTA or minicamp practices due to a lingering injury from last season’s playoff run with Kansas City. Thornton was also held out of several practices over injury concerns. In their place, the Patriots’ top offensive unit fielded tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki — another free-agent signing — for almost every snap.
According to sources, Gesicki is expected to function as a big slot receiver in O’Brien’s system, which could create notable positional overlap with Smith-Schuster. There is strong internal belief the offense will take significant strides under O’Brien, who effectively replaced former offensive assistants Matt Patricia and Joe Judge when he was hired as the team’s new offensive coordinator.
The Patriots will hold their first training camp practice on Wednesday, July 26.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/HR6osaw
Post a Comment