The first report to surface from DeAndre Hopkins’ visit to New England was an encouraging one for Patriots fans.
The wide receiver’s trip to Gillette Stadium “has been positive on both sides,” MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels reported Thursday afternoon, citing a league source.
Hopkins posted a photo of him and Patriots outside linebacker Matthew Judon inside New England’s locker room on his Instagram story. Judon has been vocal in his efforts to recruit the former Arizona Cardinals star.
It’s unclear when Hopkins, who met with the Tennessee Titans last weekend, plans to make his final decision. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Wednesday said he expected the five-time Pro Bowler to wait until closer to training camp to sign with a new team.
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Though past his All-Pro prime at age 31, Hopkins would fill a clear need for the Patriots, who have lacked elite talent at the receiver position for the past several years. Their receiving corps currently consists of JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, Tre Nixon, Raleigh Webb and rookies Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Malik Cunningham and Ed Lee.
Smith-Schuster, Thornton and Boutte all missed extended time during organized team activities and minicamp with injuries.
A Hopkins signing could push a player like Parker or Bourne off the roster. Cutting or trading either of them would create between $5.5 million and $6.2 million in salary cap space. Such a move might not be immediately necessary, however, and the Patriots could choose to carry all of their wideouts, plus Hopkins, into training camp for depth purposes.
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“Per league source, a potential Hopkins deal with the Patriots wouldn’t necessarily mean that the team must trade away another receiver, but it is a possibility,” Daniels wrote.
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe on Wednesday reported the Patriots were optimistic about their chances of signing Hopkins.
The Patriots wrapped up their offseason program Wednesday. They will not practice again until camp begins in late July.
Featured image via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
