Patriots player takes to social media to recruit DeAndre Hopkins

After news broke of DeAndre Hopkins' release from the Cardinals last week, it didn't take long for the rumors connecting the receiver to the Patriots to kick back up again.

There has been a lot of talk about Bill Belichick's interest in Hopkins for several years now, but especially over the last few months since he was rumored to be available for trade. Unfortunately, that all came to a halt when Arizona was allegedly unwilling to negotiate their asking price, ultimately forcing the Patriots to move on from any trade discussion.

But then came the news of Hopkins' release last Friday, seemingly opening the door for New England to reexplore the idea of acquiring him. With fewer obstacles in their way, like the return demands of a general manager, they may have a better shot at finally getting a desirable WR1 that Belichick has attempted to trade for in the past.

Of course, with the news, there was an expectation that Patriots players may try to convince Hopkins to make his way to Foxboro, with most assuming Matthew Judon would be the first to do so. Instead, another Patriots' defender took to Twitter to recruit Hopkins this time.

Mack Wilson quoted a tweet explaining what Hopkins had recently said about what he was looking for from his next team. Wilson made sure to tag the Patriots, as what Hopkins described could easily fit what the New England team currently is.

Now that the five-time Pro Bowler can dictate where he plays next, it will be interesting to see what he chooses to value the most for his future.

Will he be chasing a Super Bowl title?

Will he be chasing money, which has been his rumored priority?

For the Patriots' sake, it would increase their chances to sign him if it's the money since they're not exactly considered a front-running contender at the moment, but they have the cap space to pay him nicely.

It's unclear how long it'll be until Hopkins decides to sign somewhere, as speculation suggests he may wait until after preseason. Then, Belichick will make the call (at least), explore what Hopkins is looking for, and convince him New England is the best fit.