NFL Rumors: These Two Teams ‘Still Lurking’ On DeAndre Hopkins

The Patriots reportedly have as good of a chance as any team in the NFL to sign DeAndre Hopkins.

However, the sweepstakes for the free-agent wide receiver appear to be far from over.

Hopkins took visits to Tennessee and New England earlier this month but left both NFL cities without a deal. The 31-year-old seems to be in no rush to sign on the dotted line, which makes sense considering most training camps don’t commence until late July.

And with time on their side, a pair of sleeper teams reportedly are keeping an eye on Hopkins while he lingers on the open market.

“While the New England Patriots sound like the leaders, the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers are still lurking on DeAndre Hopkins, per Sal Paolantonio on ESPN Radio,” 247Sports’ Brad Stainbrook tweeted Tuesday morning.

Cleveland’s reported interest in Hopkins makes plenty of sense. The Browns are quarterbacked by Deshaun Watson, who helped “Nuk” put together the best seasons of his NFL career to date in Houston. Hopkins joining forces with Amari Cooper, Nick Chubb and David Njoku also would give Cleveland one of the league’s better offensive skill groups.

The Panthers don’t feel like a legitimate threat to sign Hopkins. While No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young certainly inspires optimism for the future in Carolina, one has to imagine Hopkins would be hesitant to hitch his wagon to a rookie quarterback, even one with a very high ceiling.

Cleveland and Carolina might not be the only teams that get in the mix for Hopkins late, though. The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs reportedly could pursue the five-time Pro Bowl selection once they have a more favorable salary cap situation.