NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Titans landed the receiver they needed. After failing to sign a marquee pass catcher through much of the free agency period, on Sunday they agreed to terms with perhaps the biggest name left on the market in DeAndre Hopkins.
Hopkins immediately provides Ryan Tannehill another receiver and gives the Titans offense a proven weapon that can take pressure off of Derrick Henry and the running game.
Hopkins has posted six 1,000-yard seasons in his career with the Texans and Cardinals and has been selected to five Pro Bowls. He is one of the most productive receivers of this generation and, at 31 years old, should still have some tread left on his tires.
He should be motivated as well. Hopkins was released by the Cardinals earlier this spring as they begin a roster rebuild without him. The market for his services likely didn't heat up in the way he was expecting, either, with only the Titans and Patriots reportedly offering him contracts.
By reaching a deal with the Titans now, Hopkins can get settled in Nashville and get a head start on training camp with his new team. From the Titans perspective, the two-year, $26 million contract was a no-brainer.
New general manager Ran Carthon deflected questions about his inactivity at the receiver position this offseason, saying that player acquisition wasn't over. Now he gets a bonafide no. 1 receiver just over a week before training camp begins.
But this deal is far more than a credibility boost for a new G.M. The addition of Hopkins should help the entire Titans roster.
Tannehill is entering the final year of his contract in Tennessee, but now gets a go-to receiver that he lacked last year after the trade of A.J. Brown. Henry figures to get a little relief from the stacked boxes he's become so accustomed to seeing with a consistent big-play threat like Hopkins on the outside.
It should also help the new-look offensive line, which may not have to hold up quite as long with Hopkins consistently finding open spaces within opposing coverages.
But the biggest impact should come in what was a young, inexperienced receiving room that was recently ranked as the worst pass-catching unit in the league. Hopkins' mere presence changes that ranking overnight.
Treylon Burks was going to be asked to become a true no. 1 receiver this season after struggling through injuries and inconsistency for just 33 receptions as a rookie last year. Burks took tremendous strides this spring and may well become a top receiver in the NFL at some point, but Hopkins arrival means he doesn't have to become that week one this year. Steady growth from last year to this year is fine, and seems more likely now with defenses needing to be more focused on Hopkins.
The same goes for every other pass catcher on this roster. Chris Moore and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine look much better as your third and fourth receiving options. It's easier to see Kyle Phillips as a third-down chain mover than as an every-down pass catcher. And it's not hard to imagine athletic tight end Chig Okonkwo having a breakout season with defense having to focus their attention on stopping Henry and limiting Hopkins and Burks in the passing game.
All that means the Titans' offense should score more points this year than last year, which will mean the defense won't have quite as much pressure on it to completely shut down opposing offenses. It's difficult to win in this league when you're only scoring 13, 14, 17 or 20 points in a game. When the Titans offense was at its best in the 2020 season they were scoring 30-plus points per game. Hopkins alone can't take them back to that mark, but he should make this a team capable of putting more points on the board than they did a year ago.
It's just up to Mike Vrabel and new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly to find the right approach for an offense that includes a playmaking wide receiver. Figure it out and the Titans should no longer be overlooked in the AFC.
Winning the division and reaching the playoffs have become the yearly expectation at Ascension St. Thomas Sports Park, and the signing of Hopkins should keep it that way for this season and beyond.
