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Perry: Hopkins not viewed as a fit, but would Pats sign him anyway? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
We’ve been kicking around the idea of DeAndre Hopkins joining the Patriots since the end of last season when Bill Belichick professed his love for the veteran receiver ahead of their matchup on Monday Night Football in Arizona.
We’re still kicking it around six months later. Partly because life continues to be breathed into the idea. Earlier this week, Adam Schefter included the Patriots as one of the teams who could land Hopkins. On Thursday, ESPN’s Dianna Russini mentioned New England as a potential landing spot for Hopkins.
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The other reason why we haven’t yet sickened of the conversation, in my opinion, is that Hopkins’ availability poses a series of existential questions for the Patriots that are gripping in and of themselves.
Who are they? What do they want to be? Where do they believe they’re going? What do they value?
The possibility of acquiring Hopkins would force Belichick — and perhaps owner Robert Kraft, since there would likely be a significant amount of money going out in a deal for the three-time first-team All-Pro — to wrestle with all of these and more.
After talking with several league sources this week about a potential union between Hopkins and the Patriots, a handful of themes have emerged. He is not thought to be, I’m told, a “program fit.”
Hopkins “doesn’t practice,” said one offensive assistant. That sentiment was echoed by others who identified the Patriots as a “rigid” working environment where an emphasis on intense preparation is the modus operandi.
“That’s not him,” the offensive assistant said. “He’s never been that guy.”
Then there’s the on-the-field fit. He’s not a field-stretcher, evaluators will tell you. But speed was never his game. Ditto for separation. He’s probably not going to be a precise route-runner,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/deandre-hopkins-not-viewed-program-234648893.html?src=rss
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2023-06-01 23:46:48
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