The Patriots Missed Out On A Massive Opportunity
With Deandre Hopkins not signing with the Patriots, New England lost their chance to finally have a dynamic offense.
The Patriots' offense stagnated significantly in 2022 with Matt Patricia as the offensive coordinator, but the offense should leap in 2023.
New England brought back Bill O'Brien, an experienced offensive coordinator who led New England to a top-five offense during his time. The massive change with the offensive coordinator will do wonders, but the Patriots needed a star, but they weren't aggressive enough for Deandre Hopkins.
Deandre Hopkins
With a current receiving core of Juju, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, and Devante Parker New England has solid depth, however in today's NFL a star is needed to be a serious contender.
All the receivers the Patriots have are number two or three options on other teams, and having them in their natural role will help them thrive.
Deandre Hopkins, while aging, is an elite receiver. Hopkins has over 11,000 receiving yards throughout his career. Hopkins, if healthy, will generate around 1,000 receiving yards every year.
On top of that, having a consistent separator for Mac Jones would be massive. Mac has not had a star receiver to work with throughout his career, and getting him a true number-one receiver was the only way to evaluate how good he is.
The Patriots Need Firepower In The AFC
While Hopkins would have been a massive addition for Mac Jones, he was also a necessity to compete in the offensively dynamic AFC.
To win a Super Bowl, a team either needs a very talented roster or a superstar quarterback. At the moment New England has neither. Mac Jones has a low ceiling as a quarterback, but he is more than capable to lead the New England Patriots if he is given a good supporting cast.
The Bills have Stefon Diggs, the Jets have Garrett Wilson, and the Dolphins have Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. New England is falling behind offensively, and they must get a wide receiver one to keep up.
The Patriots currently have the worst quarterback and star receiver in their division, and they seem to be falling behind other teams in the AFC.
Having a star like Deandre Hopkins on the open market was a golden opportunity, and New England desperately needed him.
With a true star receiver, Mac Jones would have broken out and the Patriots could potentially have become contenders. However they missed him, and now they are in the same stage of having average receivers and constantly needing to rely on the defense to win.
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