NFL insider believes the Patriots are ‘keen to spend on some stage’ in pursuit of DeAndre Hopkins

Patriots

Hopkins will reportedly go to with the Patriots someday subsequent week.

DeAndre Hopkins is in search of a brand new residence. It could possibly be in New England. AP Picture/Bart Younger, File

The Patriots’ pursuit of DeAndre Hopkins took an enormous step ahead on Friday.

New England scheduled a go to for the All-Professional receiver in Foxborough subsequent week, NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport reported. Following his report, Rapoport shared some extra particulars on what Hopkins may take into consideration becoming a member of the Patriots.

“This one really makes a ton of sense for either side,” Rapoport mentioned on NFL Community discussing Hopkins’s upcoming go to with the Patriots. “For those who’re DeAndre Hopkins, you clearly have a ton of respect for Invoice Belichick, they’ve converged over time on the sphere and in any other case. Is that this a spot the place he can resurrect his profession and present everybody he’s not simply previous and might’t get open.”

Rapoport additionally shared some perception that hints at simply how critical the Patriots’ curiosity is in Hopkins.

“For the Patriots, it by no means fairly felt to me like they had been executed in free company,” Rapoport mentioned. “They appear to be keen to spend on some stage. They not often, not often do free-agent visits. That ought to present you the way critical, at the least on it’s face, the Patriots are about DeAndre Hopkins.”

The cash facet of the Hopkins sweepstakes has change into obvious during the last week, with a number of reviews suggesting Hopkins continues to be valuing the value of his contract above a whole lot of different issues when selecting his subsequent residence.

“Early within the course of, however the two groups DeAndre Hopkins will go to aren’t a participant away from a Tremendous Bowl,” former NFL Community and NBC Sports activities Boston reporter Mike Giardi wrote in a tweet on Friday. “That speaks to what I reported beginning across the draft and in latest weeks, with groups believing he’s extra concerning the $$$ than anything (not that there’s something fallacious with that). For each the #Patriots and #Titans, Hopkins would instantly change into their finest receiver.”

If Hopkins decides to go to the very best bidder, the Patriots are in a great spot. They’ve roughly $13 million in cap house and have avenues to open up extra cap house by presumably transferring a receiver already on the roster.

The Patriots’ $13 million in cap house can also be a very good quantity greater than what the Titans have in cap house, which is roughly underneath $8 million. It’s additionally way over the Chiefs and Payments, who’re each inside $2 million of the wage cap. The Chiefs and Payments reportedly spoke with Hopkins a few doable commerce earlier than the Cardinals launched him in late Could.

Information of Hopkins’s scheduled go to was welcomed with pleasure by at the least one Patriots participant on Friday.

“I’m a fan of D-Hop. It might be cool,” receiver Kendrick Bourne mentioned following Friday’s OTA apply. “I don’t know the gist of what’s happening, however he is a good participant. Something that may assist us win, I’m with.”

It’s unclear which day Hopkins’s go to with the Patriots will happen, however it is going to occur after he visits with the Titans on Sunday. The Patriots have obligatory minicamp starting on Monday and can run by means of Wednesday.