Patriots Rumors: Thoughts & probability of a DeAndre Hopkins trade

One of the offseason storylines for the New England Patriots is whether the team will either sign, draft or trade for a No.1 wide receiver.  One name in the mix is Arizona Cardinals top target DeAndre Hopkins who has been rumored in trades since the 2022 NFL season ended.

With Arizona looking to shed some salary, Hopkins is a prime candidate to be on the trading block with a base salary of $19.45 million and $14.915 remaining in the last two years of his contract.  On the other side of 30, the talented wide receiver is someone Bill Belichick should be in on, especially if the cost is just a mid-round pick.

In the same fashion that Belichick traded for Randy Moss for just a fourth-round pick back in 2007, Hopkins would be a player with still something left in his tank hungry to make an impact.  Toss him into this New England Patriots offense as the top weapon and perhaps Mac Jones and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will have something cooking.

Patriots will be a team rumored in the mix for DeAndre Hopkins

Of course, it all comes down to just how available Hopkins is.  On Tuesday, Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort addressed the Hopkins situation at the NFL Combine and as is usually the case, talked of a player who is he is happy to have on the team.

"“I’ve had a conversation with DeAndre and DeAndre’s representative. Those have been very productive conversations,” Ossenfort said, via Masslive.com.  “I’ve watched from afar the last 10 years or whatever it’s been with DeAndre and been on teams that have had to compete against him and have seen the player that DeAndre is and what he can do on the field. I know he’s tough to defend and so I’m glad he’s on the team.“I think with him or as it goes with any player, those are situations that we’ll address as they come up, but I’m glad DeAndre is on the team right now. I’m happy to be on the same team with him.”"

Coming off a season in which he caught 64 passes for 717 yards with three touchdowns, Hopkins was far from the production that marked him a five-time Pro Bowler, but a rejuvenated Hopkins playing under a coach in Belichick he admires could be a win-win for the player and the team.

Thoughts and probability of a Patriots, Belichick swinging a deal for Hopkins

Now, there is that caveat of whether Hopkins and O’Brien can get along, but initial thoughts is that a clean slate and a chance at winning can mull over any relationship…well just about.

With other options out there in trade, the draft or free agency, Belichick wouldn’t need to get desperate to pull off a deal that is reasonable.  Those options are another reason the team won’t overspend to retain the services of Jakobi Meyers.  If there is a way to pull off both deals, the Patriots will find a way.

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If Meyers walks, Hopkins still makes the receiving group just that much better at a No. 1 option.  Is the probability of a deal high?  Thinking back to that 2007 offseason, the Patriots were coming off a season in which the late Reche Caldwell was Tom Brady’s No. 1 option.  The team suffered a disappointing loss in the AFC Championship Game the year prior and Belichick went to work to put weapons around Brady.

While Mac Jones is not at the level Brady was back then and Hopkins is damn good, but no Randy Moss, there is a similar urgency to get top talent in the offense.  Similar in age, a top-level wide receiver appears to be available and hungry for a season of rejuvenation as is the coach, the quarterback, the owner and fans.

If the price is right, this is a deal with a high probability of happening.