Patriots Favored to Sign DeAndre Hopkins: 'Mutual Interest and Respect'
In the aftermath of the Arizona Cardinals releasing star receiver DeAndre Hopkins, many predicted him to sign with a team in the AFC East - just not the New England Patriots. Rather, the Buffalo Bills were the betting favorite to land the 31-year-old.
That is no longer the case, as the Bills have never entered the Hopkins sweepstakes due to their salary cap restrictions. Meanwhile, the Patriots have hosted the star free agent in Foxboro.
Additionally, the latest report from ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler gives Patriots fans even more hope that New England has taken the lead in the race to sign Hopkins after hosting him in Foxboro.
"There's a lull in action right now," Fowler said recently on ESPN's Sportscenter. "Training camp's not for a month, not a lot of rush. ... I'm told there is some mutual interest and respect between the Patriots and Hopkins, that something could go down, but they couldn't get that deal done while he was on the visit."
Leaving Foxboro empty handed wasn't a surprise as the NFL insiders warned before Hopkins' visit with the Patriots that the intention is likely to wait until closer to training camp before signing. This wait-and-see approach from Hopkins is a smart business decision, as the extra time allows other teams to enter the race and potentially up the price on his contract.
As of now Hopkins' only suitors are the Tennessee Titans and Patriots, which likely doesn't give him much leverage in contract negotiations compared to if other teams get involved.
With just a month to go until the start of training camp, one can only assume that the Patriots are approaching the finish line with Hopkins and may have an early lead.
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