The New England Patriots’ receiving corps already is the deepest the team has had in years. Now imagine if it had DeAndre Hopkins, too.
The Patriots tried to make that a reality earlier this season, sources told NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Sunday
Per Rapoport’s sources, New England proposed a trade that would have sent Pro Bowl linebacker Jamie Collins to the Houston Texans in exchange for Hopkins, one of the NFL’s premier wideouts.
The Texans reportedly declined both that offer and another that would have sent Collins to Houston and veteran cornerback Johnathan Joseph to Foxboro, Mass.
The Patriots also tested the Philadelphia Eagles’ interest in Collins, according to Rapoport’s report, before ultimately dealing him to the Cleveland Browns for a conditional third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Though controversial at the time, the trade has worked out well for both sides. The Patriots’ defense improved following Collins’ departure and went on to finish first in the NFL in points allowed, and Collins impressed the Cleveland brass enough to earn himself a four-year, $50 million contract extension.
The Patriots, who defeated the Texans in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, will play the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in Super Bowl LI.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports Images
