Morning Sports Update

Former Patriot Damien Woody called for Bill Belichick to trade for DeAndre Hopkins

"That's what the Patriots need, especially with Mac Jones coming off that down year. Get him somebody reliable on the outside."

By Hayden Bird

March 20, 2023

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The Bruins scored a lopsided 7-0 win over the Sabres on Sunday, running the team’s record to 53-11-5.

In the NCAA Tournament (both the men’s and women’s editions), upsets dominated the proceedings over the weekend. Multiple No. 1 (and No. 2) seeds lost, opening up some intriguing match-ups and championship possibilities.

The Patriots and DeAndre Hopkins: Though the Patriots addressed the team’s need at the wide receiver position with the recent reported signing of JuJu Smith-Schuster, New England may not be done upgrading its options for Mac Jones in the passing game.

One of the more intriguing possibilities centers on the potential availability of Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

The 30-year-old is reportedly being discussed as a trade target, and the Patriots have been linked.

As usual, the Patriots under Bill Belichick are giving nothing away, and New England’s offseason plan remains difficult to predict. Still, one former has a straightforward request.

Damien Woody, who helped the Patriots win multiple Super Bowls (and is now an ESPN analyst), shared his take during a “Get Up!” segment on Monday morning.

“I would like to see Bill Belichick trade for DeAndre Hopkins,” Woody acknowledged. “When you look at the Patriots within that division, the AFC East, right now I would have to slot them fourth. I think the Patriots need some real juice, offensively, because they don’t have anyone over there that really scares you, particularly on the outside.

“Get a guy like DeAndre Hopkins who, obviously he’s never been a speed burner, but he’s about as reliable as you can get at the receiver position,” said Woody. “That’s what the Patriots need, especially with Mac Jones coming off that down year. Get him somebody reliable on the outside.”

The reality of the situation may not be to Patriots fans’ liking, however. Following Woody’s comments, NFL reporter (and fellow ESPN panelist) Dan Graziano noted that a Hopkins-to-New England trade would be surprising based on current circumstances.

“I think that they’ve made their strategic moves in free agency,” Graziano explained. “Also they’ve made some moves on the offensive line in free agency that they think will help. In terms of a big, splash move, no, I don’t get the sense that one is coming from the Patriots. Now, you never do know with Belichick. He could be planning something, but it sounds like they’re going to enter a little bit of a quiet phase, and look for the kind of bargains that he’s built the franchise on in the past.”

New England could also use a high draft pick on a receiver. Various mock drafts have projected a potential wide receiver to the Patriots at the 14th overall pick.

Trivia: DeAndre Hopkins somehow totaled 111 receptions for 1,521 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in the 2015 season despite playing for a Texans team that started four different quarterbacks. Can you name all four of the Houston quarterbacks who Hopkins caught scores from?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: Two played for the Patriots at different points in their NFL careers, one was the oldest first-round pick ever at 28 years old, and the fourth played for the Texans, Falcons, Dolphins, and Bills during his seven years in the league.

More from Boston.com:

• Takeaways: With weekend wins, the Bruins regain their swagger
• US routs Cuba 14-2 to reach World Baseball Classic final
• NFL insider lists Patriots as a ‘wild card’ for Lamar Jackson, links them to Odell Beckham
• Devin McCourty believes the Patriots don’t need to make a big addition at safety to replace him
• Robert Williams could make his return to the Celtics lineup on Tuesday
• A closer look at Grant Williams’s final play, plus 6 takeaways from Celtics vs. Jazz
• ‘I ain’t got no ego or nothing like that’: Jayson Tatum is OK with other Celtics players taking clutch shots
• What Joe Judge’s role with the Patriots reportedly might be in 2023
• Trea Turner’s grand slam lifts USA over Venezuela, into WBC semis
• Rōki Sasaki likely to be coveted when available for MLB
• Cowboys acquire WR Brandin Cooks from Texans for 2 late-round picks
• Jose Altuve has broken right thumb, needs surgery
• 3 takeaways from the Revolution’s win over Nashville

The signs were there early for a Bruins blowout: Boston scored 15 seconds into Sunday’s win over Buffalo.

No. 1 seed Stanford upset by Ole Miss: With Stanford out, the path appears to be wide open for top overall seed South Carolina to repeat.

On this day: Exactly 50 years ago, the Celtics defeated the Rockets 94-89 thanks to John Havlicek’s 28 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Dave Cowens also weighed in on the win with 20 points and 32 rebounds.

Daily highlight: From the weekend, Christopher Newport University won the Division-III men’s basketball national championship thanks to Trey Barber’s buzzer-beater.

Bonus: One more from the weekend, with Minnesota hockey’s Rhett Pitlick scoring one of the goals of the year.

Trivia answer: Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, Brandon Weeden, and T.J. Yates