When Will Patriots Sign DeAndre Hopkins: Done Deal?

The New England Patriots are hosting free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for a visit on Thursday with hopes of signing him.

With the New England Patriots hosting free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on a visit Thursday, many are already starting to ask when a decision will be made. 

It is, however, unlikely that one of the hottest free agents leaves Foxboro with a contract signed, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The NFL insider revealed a potential timeline for Hopkins' decision, ultimately indicating that the former Arizona Cardinal is in no rush. 

“It did sound like the Titans visit was really positive for DeAndre Hopkins." Rapoport said. "I did not expect a deal to get done around the time of his visit. I would even be a little surprised if a deal gets done with the Patriots, whose visit is today and tomorrow, because if you’re DeAndre Hopkins, similar to what we’ve talked about with (free agent running back) Dalvin Cook, waiting makes sense.”

Rapoport reasons that the longer Hopkins waits, the more likely other teams get involved, which in turn could help him drive up his value at the negotiating table. As things stand, it seems the Tennessee Titans and Patriots are the only teams with serious interest. Yet, that does not mean teams around the league are overlooking Hopkins. Rather, teams like the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs are being restricted financially.

Rapoport adds that he believes it makes sense for Hopkins to wait until a few weeks into training camp, citing the possibility of injuries as a reason other teams could suddenly get involved. 

While that is all well and good for the 31-year-old, the Patriots would love to know his fate ahead of training camp. Not only would it be good for Hopkins as he can take the extra month layoff between the end of mandatory minicamp and the start of training camp to learn the Patriots system, but also start to build a rapport with quarterback Mac Jones. 

Thursday's visit is nonetheless a big one for the Patriots as they try to convince Hopkins that Foxboro is the place he wants to be next.

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