NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Titans’ offseason nonchalance with regard to receiver may be washed away if DeAndre Hopkins plays to form, as he’s soon to sign with Tennessee per Doug Kyed.
Hopkins, who regularly gave the Titans fits during his seven years with the Houston Texans won’t necessarily beat coverage with downfield speed.
But through his 10 years with the Texans and Cardinals, he’s shown an amazing penchant for snatching balls out of tight windows and frustrating defenders who thought they’d reduced or eliminated the danger of him as an option. [Unlocked]
Ian Rapoport reports it's a two-year $26 million deal worth up to $32 million. Details of the structure will be interesting.
In Nashville he will play opposite Treylon Burks, offering the team a massive upgrade from either Chris Moore, a free-agent add from Houston, or Nick Westbrook-Ikhine as the second starting receiver in the offense.
Second-year man Kyle Philips figures to be the primary slot receiver, with Moore and NWI now filling in snaps as the fourth and fifth options, depth chart spots more suited for their skill sets.
Hopkins has 853 career catches for 11,298 yards and 71 touchdowns.
Here's what DeAndre Hopkins said he was looking for in his next NFL team:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 16, 2023
- Stable management.
- A QB who loves the game.
- A great defense because defense wins championships.
After searching for several weeks, he lands with the #Titans and returns to the AFC South. https://t.co/i40B4jWkN8
The Cardinals released him on May 26 to save big cap dollars and he visited the Titans on June 11 and 12 and the Patriots after that.
The Titans report to training camp on July 25.
Tennessee's top skill position players should now be Burks, Hopkins, Derrick Henry, Chig Okonkwo and Philips with rookie running back Tyjae Spears in the mix.
One of the downsides of Hopkins that has been reported is that he does not like to practice regularly. That did not go well the last time the Titans brought in an aging receiver with a big resume. Julio Jones was constantly nursing injuries and practiced very little on his way to making a minimal contribution in 2021.
The Titans are certainly expecting Hopkins will be healthier. I'm interested to hear what he and Mike Vrabel have to say about the practice plan.
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