Option Route: If Not DeAndre Hopkins, Could Patriots Sign Another Ex Pro Bowl WR?
At this point, DeAndre Hopkins has been included in so many rumors involving the New England Patriots that it's easy to assume he'll wind up in Foxboro.
The idea of Hopkins donning blue, silver, and red has cooled over the past few days, the curbed enthusiasm brought about by moves within the organization and Hopkins' relatively muted aura. Suggestions for backup plans are starting to make their way toward Foxborough, the latest coming from Heavy.com.
Hopkins is not the only elite target receiver-hungry teams could go after during the relative doldrums of the NFL's mid-summer stretch. Jarvis Landry is still on the free-agent market after spending last year with New Orleans, posting a 272-yard season in nine games, a far cry from his Pro Bowl days in Miami and Cleveland.
Set to turn 31 in November, it's no guarantee that Landry will return to the heights he obtained as a Dolphin and Brown. But Heavy's Matthew Davis suggested that he'd be an affordable addition to a New England passing group looking for consistent, reliable playmakers.
"(Landry) still has something left to offer. He still averages more than 10 yards per reception amid his decline," Davis says. "He would add quality depth to the Patriots’ receiving room at a low cost, considering his $3 million contract with the New Orleans Saints last season. That’s a far cry from his Cleveland Browns days where the team gave him a five-year, $75 million during his prime."
To Davis' point, Landry had 10.9 per reception even in his depleted state. He notably opened the year with a 114-yard showing in New Orleans' kickoff weekend win over division rival Atlanta.
As the Patriots work through a fateful third season with Mac Jones under center, the team is looking for stability on the offensive front. They paid big money to bring in JuJu Smith-Schuster and bringing back DeVante Parker. The team has high hopes for 2022 second-round choice Tyquan Thornton but behind the big names lie unproven talents, such as more recent draft day hauls like Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas.
Well-versed in Landry's aerial gains thanks to his time in South Beach, the Patriots know that it's not 2014 anymore. Having said that, there are far worse consolation prizes than a 30-year-old Landry.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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