3 backup plans after missing on DeAndre Hopkins

In the end, the New England Patriots appeared close to signing veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. But, he chose the Tennessee Titans instead.

Did Hopkins make a mistake not heading to New England? Did the Patriots whiff on the chance to sign a high profile wide receiver like Hopkins? Who is truly to blame?

At this point, it doesn't matter all that much. New England just needs to find another guy, and that's the moral of the story. So, who else is out there in free agency? The options are slim, but here are three of the better choices.

1. Sammy Watkins

Some might cringe at the idea of signing Sammy Watkins, and I wouldn't blame you. Injuries have been an issue on many occasions for Watkins, but at the same time, he's still only 30 years old, somehow. It feels like he's been around much longer, but Watkins was taken at no. 4 overall back in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Since then, he's played for five different teams. He's gone over the 1,000-yard mark just once, but his size and speed still make him a worthy target. At the very least, Watkins would be worth bringing into camp.

Last year, he spent time with both the Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers, but did not get a lot of action. His last touchdown reception came in December of 2021, making it quite some time since he's gotten into the end zone.

At this stage, Watkins would come very cheap. He hasn't even hit 500 receiving yards since 2019 when he did so with the Chiefs, going for 673.