Signing Hopkins is the only way the Patriots can compete next season. The New England Patriots might be on the verge of signing free agent WR DeAndre Hopkins to a long term deal, and they really have to if they hope to be competitive in the AFC East.
The Patriots really are doomed without someone like Hopkins.
The New England Patriots have been hosting former Texans and Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins at their OTA and minicamp meetings as they hope to sign the now free agent WR to a long-term deal as the #1 wideout for Mac Jones. And, as I’ve said a few times now, the Patriots need Hopkins if they want to have a glimpse of lifting the AFC East title.
I’ve been a little quiet when it comes to my beloved Patriots as the NFL offseason has been going through the motions of post-draft day celebrations, OTAs, rookie minicamp, and the regular minicamp, but this DeAndre Hopkins news has been the hottest thing in the NFL these last few days.
And, yes, I realize that this being the “hottest” news means the NFL offseason has been a little slow so far.
Anyways, with the free agent market being pretty saturated nowadays with most of the high-end free agents having either resigned with their teams, committed to a new destination, or solely negotiating with 1-2 teams, DeAndre Hopkins being available for anyone to sign would be a massive opportunity for any NFL offense in its own right.
I know Hopkins has had a rough patch these last two seasons with injuries and suspension as he’s only played in 19 of total 33 games, yet Hopkins stats haven’t dropped as many would have you believe.
Yes, it’s true that Hopkins had the lowest total receiving yards tally of his career last year as he only brought in 717 yards, 3 TDs (2nd lowest tally in career), 11.2 yards/REC (tied-lowest in career), and 64 total receptions, but a large part of his decline is due to the Cardinals woes.
Not only did Arizona go 4-14 last year to finish 4th in the NFC West, last in the NFC, and 2nd worst in the entire NFL, but they also had a QB carousel that saw Kyler Murray (2,368 passing yards, 66.4% completion percentage, 14 TDs, 7 INTs), Colt McCoy (780 passing yards, 68.4% completion percentage, 1 TD, 3 INTs), Trace McSorley (412 passing yards, 54.2% completion percentage, 0 TDs, 5 INTS), and David Blough (402 passing yards, 65.5% completion percentage, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) all take at least 60 snaps under center.
You could put Jerry Rice or Randy Moss on that team, and they would have similar stats to Hopkins. You can’t catch the ball if your QB is throwing it into the ground or to the other team constantly.
And, to be honest, Hopkins stats weren’t even that bad if you look at them in totality. Hopkins would have finished with approximately 1,354 receiving yards, 5-6 passing TDs, and close to 120 or so receptions (if he kept getting thrown to at a constant rate) if he played the full 17 games.
Would all of these people in the media, including a few local Boston talking heads, really pass up on a 1,400-yard, 6-TD, and 120-reception wide out? I know I wouldn’t.
As for the Patriots offense, the addition of Hopkins would open up so many more options, passing schemes, rushing schemes, and deep threats for Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, or whoever is going to be starting under center for the Pats next season.
Sure, JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, Hunter Henry, and Mike Gesicki are decent options for Jones and Zappe to have, but none of those guys can strike a level of fear and separation in defenses that DeAndre Hopkins has done throughout his whole career.
So, long as either one of the QBs plays at a high enough level next year, the addition of Hopkins into this Patriots offense could seriously make it one of the best in the AFC East, if not the entire AFC.
They obviously have a lot of competition with the likes of the Aaron Rodgers’ Jets, Tua Tagovailoa’s Dolphins, Josh Allen’s Bills, Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs, Justin Herbert’s Chargers, Joe Burrow’s Bengals, and Trevor Lawrence’s Jaguars, but at least Hopkins will make them competitive with these teams.
If they don’t have Hopkins, then they might as well get ready for the 2024 draft as they’ll have another high pick to choose from.
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