DeAndre Derby: Hopkins Visits Titans; Patriots Next Stop?
Today, Nashville. Later this week, Foxboro.
Coveted free-agent receiver DeAndre Hopkins is officially kicking off his tour of prospective new teams this week. As scheduled, the former Arizona Cardinals five-time All-Pro is meeting with the Tennessee Titans and their head coach, future New England Patriots' Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel.
Hopkins posted photos and videos from Nashville to his Instagram account Sunday night, including some from a Tim McGraw concert at the Titans' Nissan Stadium. If he's a fan of country music, maybe he'll like Saturday's entertainment at Gillette Stadium: soccer, between the New England Revolution and Orlando City SC?
Tennessee is Hopkins' first visit and, so far, New England is the only other stop on his tour. He is set to visit the Pats sometime later this week, in the midst of Bill Belichick conducting a mandatory minicamp.
Desperate for a No. 1 target - or at least No. 1a alongside new acquisition JuJu Smith-Schuster - the Patriots are widely regarded as one of the favorites to land Hopkins. They not only have the need, but also enough room under the salary cap ($14 million) to get a deal done.
Though Belichick has long openly fawned over Hopkins' skill and professionalism, the stumbling block to Hopkins playing in Foxboro is his once-testy relationship with Pats' offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien when the two were in Houston together with the Texans. But O'Brien said last week that he is "on board" with a reunion with Hopkins, paving the way for at least a meet 'n greet.
Three of Hopkins' five All-Pro years came in Houston under O'Brien's offense.
Follow Richie Whitt on Twitter
Follow Patriots Country on Twitter and Facebook
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Patriots? Click Here
More Patriots coverage from Sports Illustrated here.
