Three Moves Patriots Could Make After DeAndre Hopkins’ Decision
The New England Patriots lost out on DeAndre Hopkins, with the three-time All-Pro wide receiver choosing the Tennessee Titans following his high-profile tour through free agency.
Hopkins’ decision is undoubtedly disappointing for fans in New England, but it doesn’t stop the Patriots from going out and adding an impact player. In fact, there are plenty of directions for Bill Belichick and company to go now that they know Hopkins is off the table.
Here are some of the most intriguing avenues for the Patriots to explore.
Attack the non-DeAndre Hopkins wide receiver market.
So what if you missed out on a five-time Pro Bowler? There are plenty of other (less promising) options on the table for New England.
The NFL appears to be undergoing a youth movement at the wide receiver position, with plenty of capable wideouts left on the open market due to an insane influx of talent at the position over recent seasons. Jarvis Landry, Julio Jones and Kenny Golladay are all former Pro Bowlers, but are also on the back-end of their careers. New England could take a swing and hope to squeeze production out of those players, but there’s also some lesser-known names available that could be intriguing.
N’Keal Harry is back on the free agent market, though that relationship is about as sour as the one between Barry Bonds and the BBWAA. The Patriots have been linked to Olabisi Johnson in the past, with Rashard Higgins and Antoine Wesley serving as other options.
Just stay put.
This one feels like it makes the most sense.
The Patriots reportedly wouldn’t have retained Kendrick Bourne should Hopkins have signed on. That means New England views Bourne, a more-than-serviceable player, its fourth option at wideout. That’s not half bad, so there likely isn’t a rush in adding a pass catcher just because they couldn’t obtain a future Hall of Famer.
Use new-found cap space elsewhere.
This is our fun option.
The wide receiver market dried up considerably when Hopkins signed with Tennessee, but there are plenty of intriguing options elsewhere. We’ve already touched on the healthy running back market, but there are plenty of free agents that could interest New England and its near $17 million in cap space.
The Patriots still have question marks at tackle, with Taylor Lewan and George Fant looking like intriguing and affordable options. Zack Cunningham and Deion Jones are serviceable linebackers, Marcus Peters is a potential Jack Jones replacement and Akiem Hicks could come back in the event Lawrence Guy holds out. Cameron Brate could even join a thin tight end group.
There are a boatload of available players, with the Patriots almost certain to add at least one.
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