On the surface, signing DeAndre Hopkins seems like a no-brainer. The five-time All-Pro selection, now a free agent, is still one of the NFL's elite wide receivers.
Unsurprisingly, the New England Patriots are among the teams linked to Hopkins. They could use a true No. 1 target for third-year quarterback Mac Jones, who's entering a pivotal season under new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien.
So, why wouldn't they get a deal done? If you ask our Tom E. Curran, Hopkins simply isn't the right fit for a Pats team trying to find its identity after a tumultuous 2022 campaign.
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"He feels like a 'one step away' piece that you would add at this juncture in early June and say, 'OK, this is the cog that's gonna grease our wheels and move us through the playoffs.' And I don't think the Patriots are at that point," Curran said Tuesday on Arbella Early Edition. "They have to find out who they are without adding somebody to the mix who's so dynamic and such a huge personality and such a big add that they're almost going to have to restart figuring out who they are once they add him.
"Since he's not part of OTAs and he would be perhaps joining in minicamp, they would go into training camp wondering, 'What exactly are we going to look like with DeAndre Hopkins?' Because we still don't know what all these other guys look like with capable coaching."
Hopkins was released Friday after three years with the Arizona Cardinals. He spent his previous seven NFL seasons in Houston, where O'Brien was his head coach from 2014-20. Their rocky relationship is well-documented.
Over his last two seasons with the Cardinals, Hopkins missed 15 games. Six of his absences were due to a suspension for violating the NFL's drug policy.
Despite those red flags, there is little doubt Hopkins has enough left in the tank to give any offense a boost. The Buffalo Bills and reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, already boasting top-tier offenses, are considered the biggest threats to sign him.
As of Tuesday, the Patriots wide receiver depth chart consists of DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Kendrick Bourne, and rookie sixth-rounder Kayshon Boutte.
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May 31, 2023 at 04:26AM
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Curran: Why DeAndre Hopkins may not be right fit for Patriots - NBC Sports Boston
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