One of the goals that the New England Patriots set out to achieve this offseason was improving the supporting cast around quarterback Mac Jones. He had a tough 2022 season, dealing with injuries, a lack of talent around him and an unorthodox approach to building the offensive coaching staff. 

But, New England rectified some of those issues. Bill O’Brien is taking over as offensive coordinator, replacing Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, who didn’t have official titles but led the unit last season. 

Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki were signed in free agency to bolster the weapons around Jones. While both will certainly be helpful, the Smith-Schuster addition is a bit of a wash overall as he will be replacing last season’s leading receiver Jakobi Meyers. He signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting with Dave Zeigler and Josh McDaniels.

It certainly wouldn’t hurt the Patriots to add another playmaker to their offense should the opportunity present itself. One player to keep an eye on is DeAndre Hopkins, who was recently released by the Arizona Cardinals.

Earlier in the offseason it was reported that New England had interest in acquiring Hopkins in a trade and he wanted to play for Bill Belichick. Now a free agent, he has a chance to join the Patriots and they are a team to keep an eye on as they have interest in the former All-Pro.

Dianna Russini of ESPN provided insight into the Patriots’ interest in Hopkins while offering updates on other teams around the league as well. New England won’t be alone in their pursuit of him, as money will be a determining factor in his decision.

“The Patriots are interested in DeAndre Hopkins and we’re gonna see over the next few weeks Hopkins taking visits with different teams and he’s going to make a decision what’s best for him.”

Some of the updates, such as the one concerning the New York Jets, aren’t too surprising. Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh said earlier in the week that the team likes the wide receiver group they have and wasn’t looking to make any more changes.

The biggest surprise is the tepid interest that the Buffalo Bills have. They have been seeking a wide receiver upgrade all season, but money could be their biggest hurdle. Buffalo will continue monitoring the situation as Josh Allen was one of the quarterbacks Hopkins mentioned as one he would want to play with.