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Report: Patriots tried trading for DeAndre Hopkins

DeAndre Hopkins

Shortly before ultimately trading linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns back in October, the New England Patriots reportedly engaged in trade discussions with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans.

Collins would end up being dealt to Cleveland for a conditional third-round pick, but there were certainly more eye-opening scenarios in play here.

According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, New England demanded DeAndre Hopkins from the Houston Texans in any trade that would have sent Collins to the eventual AFC South champs. Needless to say, that was a non-starter for the Texans, even with Hopkins himself being frustrated with the team’s quarterback situation.

How the Patriots could go from demanding an elite-level young receiver to acquiring a mid-round pick remains to be seen. It’s possible that Bill Belichick and Co. over-hyped Collins’ value on the trade block.

As it is, New England would go on to finish the regular season with a 7-1 record without Collins, eventually heading into the playoffs with the league’s top-scoring defense. For his part, Collins cashed on his move to Cleveland, signing a four-year, $50 million extension last month.

It surely seems to have worked out for both sides. But just imagine Hopkins catching passes from Tom Brady. That would have been incredibly unfair to the rest of the NFL.

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