The New England Patriots have "called about" wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Jerry Jeudy -- both of whom are trade candidates -- according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic.
Hopkins, 30, is one of the this era's most productive wide receivers, as evidenced by the 11,298 receiving yards that he's racked up in the 10 seasons he's split between the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals.
The three-time All-Pro was suspended for the first six games of the 2022 season after failing a performance-enhancing drug test, but was still productive when he returned, catching 64 passes for 717 yards.
While Hopkins would unquestionably be an upgrade in New England, it will be interesting to see if the presence of offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien will turn him off to joining the Patriots. O'Brien was the head coach and de-facto top executive for the Texans when they traded Hopkins to the Cardinals in March of 2020. O'Brien allegedly told Hopkins that he didn't like that his "baby mamas" would sometimes be around, and also referenced convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez when the two tried to clear the air.
As far as Jeudy, while he's shown flashes during three seasons with the Denver Broncos, he hasn't yet lived up to being the No. 15 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. In three years, Jeudy has 157 catches for 2,295 yards and nine touchdowns. The Broncos have excellent wide receiver depth with Courtland Sutton and the returning Tim Patrick, and without a pick in the first two rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft, it may make sense for them to deal from that surplus.
Howe also notes that the Patriots attended Odell Beckham Jr.'s workout last week. Beckham -- the former Offensive Rookie of the Year -- missed the entire 2022 season after tearing his ACL while playing for the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
The leading receiver for the Patriots in 2022 was Jakobi Meyers, who had 67 catches for 804 yards and six touchdowns. Meyers reportedly will sign with the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting him with Josh McDaniels, when the new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday.
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