Did DeAndre Hopkins make a mistake by not picking the Patriots?
In the wake of the DeAndre Hopkins signing with the Tennessee Titans, ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum (friend of Bill), shared this take on why Hopkins was wrong not to pick the Patriots:
I think he should’ve signed with the New England Patriots because he would have been the best player on a team that could have won the AFC East and even more had he gone there. So to me, I understand you want to go where the money is, but at the end of the day, as a wide receiver signing in July, if you signed with the best opportunity, that puts you in a great place for March of 2024 where he could have been the preeminent wide receiver, maybe even in front of Odell Beckham Jr. So he would have been the focal point of a New England Patriots offense that should be better with Bill O’Brien and a great defense. So I understand why he follow the money, but the better football opportunity was in New England.
DeAndre Hopkins of the Arizona Cardinals warms before a game against the New Orleans Saints at State Farm Stadium. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Zolak and Bertrand reacted to whether or not the addition of Hopkins would’ve put the Patriots in position to enter the AFC East conversation:
Zolak: I do 100% agree with everything Mike Tannenbaum has said there and stated, except for winning the AFC East. Like just because one player comes in and it’s DeAndre Hopkins, that doesn’t mean you’re the favorite to win the AFC East. That doesn’t mean everything’s going to come together. It makes your football team better. Now you got a real bona fide wideout on the outside that defensive coordinators will have to respect and it doesn’t have to be balanced anymore defensively. But to say the you know, him not going to New England, he could have won the AFC East. That’s a stretch there. Everything else I agree with.
Beetle: How much production does he believe DeAndre Hopkins would have had in the Patriots offense to go back out into free agency a year from now approaching age 32, where he could cash in? Right. I mean, that’s the question for for the player to take more money in my mind is never the wrong thing. And the other thing would be, well, wait, if you think there’d be a lot more money for him next off season, what did you believe he would produce in a Patriots offense in 2023?
Zolak: Too much is made out of the fact of all, “we can’t bring this guy and it’s going to tip the applecart over because he makes too much money.” He’ll be second highest paid player in a team. When you’re a player in the league, you respect other players.
Beetle: So I just would like to know if that’s the argument from Mike Tannenbaum. What do we think DeAndre Hopkins would have produced here numbers-wise if you could attach a number to it? Was he going to have 64 catches? He had 64 catches last season playing in nine games.
Zolak: No, but I think everybody likes to make fun of Tannenbaum, but like, he knows football, Like he knows Billy would design the offense around him to get him the ball, like he would have been in a better situation. And from a productivity standpoint, like when he was there in Houston, they were good. I’d back off the AFC East Champions thing. I just think it makes you a hell of a lot more competitive bringing in a a better receiver, because obviously they thought they needed help in the room.
