Adding receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the most decorated free agent on the market, made sense for Tennessee Titans first-time general manager Ran Carthon.
Carthon has spent his first offseason as a general manager adding pieces to improve an offense that scored just 298 points last season and a team that lost its last seven games and missed the playoffs.
Hopkins, who has reportedly agreed to terms on a two-year, $26-million deal, picked the Tennessee Titans over the New England Patriots. Just so you know, coach Mike Vrabel, offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, and passing game coordinator Charles London each coached DeAndre Hopkins, who played with Houston from 2013-19.
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It’s fair to ask how much the 31-year-old receiver has left. After all, he’s missed 14 games in the past two seasons.
Last year, the three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler missed the first six games after violating the league’s PED policy and the last two games with a tweaked knee. In 2021, he missed six games with knee and hamstring injuries.
He hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2020, and he’s had just two 100-yard games in the last 19 games.
“I always loved having haters and doubters, but I appreciate it even more now. Titan up!!” Hopkins Tweeted after agreeing to the terms.
The NFL is a young man’s game. Old players tend to get hurt more frequently and take longer to recover. Still, the Titans need Hopkins to be a true No.1 receiver for their offense to thrive.
No other receiver on the roster has had more than 600 yards receiving in a single season. DeAndre Hopkins has six seasons with more than 1,000 yards, including five of more than 1,200 yards.
Adams caught 100 passes for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, while Lockett caught 80 passes for 1,033 yards and nine touchdowns.
Treylon Burks, the 18th player in the 2022 NFL Draft, caught 33 passes for 444 yards and a touchdown as a rookie. He caught eight passes of more than 20 yards, so he can get deep, which means he should complement Hopkins well.
DeAndre Hopkins has always been more of a technician than a speed guy, and he averaged just 11.2 per catch last season, but he should be a reliable option for quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
DeAndre Hopkins stats (2022): 64 catches, 717 yards, 3 TD, 11.2 YPC
Last year, there were only 13 receivers 31 years old or older in the NFL. They averaged 19 catches for 225 yards and a touchdown. Of the league’s 22 receivers who were 30 or older, only Las Vegas Raiders star Davante Adams and Seattle Seahawks veteran Tyler Lockett surpassed the 1,000-yard mark.
That’s why questions about Hopkins exist, and it’s why his $12.5 million average salary sits between Denver Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton and the New York Jets’ Corey Davis.
Carthon drafted Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski with the 11th pick and signed former No.1 pick Andre Dillard to a three-year, $29-million deal to play left tackle and shore up the Titans’ offensive line. He also signed Daniel Brunskill to a two-year, $5.5-million contract to play left guard.
Aaron Brewer, a restricted free agent, resigned with the Titans to play center after spending last season at left guard.
Hopkins, in a way, might be the key to Vrabel keeping his job.
If the line is good enough to keep Ryan Tannehill healthy, Hopkins will make him a better quarterback. He struggled, as expected, once the Tennessee Titans traded receiver A.J. Brown to Philadelphia because it made the offense too one-dimensional.
From the start of the 2020 season through the first 10 games last year, the Titans went 30-13 with consecutive playoff appearances. Then came last year’s disaster, which resulted in missing the playoffs.
Carthon didn’t hire Vrabel, and every general manager ultimately wants to hire their coach.
Tannehill, who averaged just 211.3 yards passing last season, missed five games last season and is in the last year of his contract. So is running back Derrick Henry, who rushed for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns at an age where most running backs have been reduced to backup roles.
If DeAndre Hopkins can be a dynamic player, it’ll make life easier for Tannehill and Henry and allow the Tennessee Titans to compete in the AFC South, where no dominant team exists.
But if Tennessee misses the playoffs, no one should be surprised if Tannehill, Henry, and Vrabel are with another organization next season.