While the Cleveland Browns were reported to have been completely out of the race for free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio is now stating they may not be after all. Paolantonio stated that he believes the New England Patriots are the clear frontrunner for Hopkins’ services, but the Browns and the Carolina Panthers were two teams that are still “lurking” behind the scenes.
You can see the full transcript from the interaction below:
As @stainbrookNFL mentioned earlier today, Sal Paolantonio appeared on ESPN Radio this morning to talk, among other topics, about DeAndre Hopkins and his potential landing spot. Here is the full answer, mentioning the Patriots as a likely destination. https://t.co/HbrVpYSZzY pic.twitter.com/Ae2Uvylm2I
— Bernd Buchmasser (@BerndBuchmasser) June 27, 2023
There is an obvious allure to reuniting Hopkins with his former quarterback in Deshaun Watson, especially in a season where the Browns have pushed all of their chips into the middle of the table. However, money has to be right and Hopkins obviously gets his pick of the litter.
As training camps around the league are about a month out, Hopkins’ decision should be coming soon.