T
he New England Patriots passing game needs a boost in 2023 and the team has been linked to a big-name wide receiver who could be just what Mac Jones needs.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes that the Arizona Cardinals should consider trading DeAndre Hopkins and the Patriots are a potential landing spot.
“At age 30 with a $19.4 million base salary, Hopkins might not merit a first-round pick in return (like he probably did in 2020 when Houston shipped him to Arizona for a second-round pick and David Johnson),” Fowler wrote. “The Cardinals would be wise to eat some of the money to facilitate a deal.”
Fowler believes Bill Belichick’s relationship with Hopkins could bring the wide receiver to New England.
“Bill Belichick is a huge admirer of Hopkins’ game and needs a game-changing receiver in the worst way,” Fowler added. “He’s also one of the league’s most active traders.”
Hopkins had an impressive season even though he missed some time due to being suspended. In nine games he racked up 64 receptions for 717 receiving yards, and three touchdowns per Pro Football Reference.
Reported New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien Might Make a Trade Difficult
The Patriots are expected to have Bill O’Brien as their offensive coordinator in 2023. If New England wants Hopkins, this could cause some problems.
O’Brien was the head coach of the Houston Texans when they decided to trade Hopkins.
“They might not be friendly,” an NFC executive said of Hopkins and O’Brien according to Fowler. “But they had success together with subpar quarterback play, so maybe it can work.”
Devin McCourty Excited About Bill O’Brien Joining the New England Patriots
While future remains up in the air, the Patriots captain is excited that New England brought in O’Brien.
“(He’s) passionate, super competitive, a guy that you can talk trash to with in practice, back and forth throughout training camp,” McCourty said on NBC Sports Boston’s “Patriots Talk Podcast.” “He always welcomed that, and I think that was a lot of fun as a younger player coming into the NFL, not knowing what to expect and just seeing the passion and fire come from the offensive coordinator, a guy that’s on the sideline that you don’t expect to maybe see that from.
“Just seeing that and seeing him do that day in and day out, and then …read more
Source:: Heavy.com