DeAndre Hopkins Rumors: Titans 'More Aggressive' Than Patriots to Sign WR to Contract

The Tennessee Titans "have been more aggressive to this point" than the New England Patriots in pursuit of DeAndre Hopkins, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.

Reiss added the free-agent wide receiver "hasn't been in a rush to sign," in part because a mystery team could still enter the mix and give him more leverage at the negotiating table.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Saturday on SportsCenter that the Kansas City Chiefs "have kept in contact" with Hopkins, so they aren't out of the running just yet. With just $402,942 in available salary cap space, the reigning Super Bowl champions remain a bit of a long shot.

The Titans don't have the cap space, either, to meet Hopkins's reported asking price of around $15-18 million to match Odell Beckham Jr.'s deal with the Baltimore Ravens. Tennessee would need to make other cost-cutting maneuvers to add to the $8.3 million it can spend.

Still, general manager Ran Carthon believes signing Hopkins to be a priority based on Reiss's newest report.

The franchise is trying to wring at least one more playoff run out of the Ryan Tannehill/Derrick Henry partnership. Improving the passing game with a short-term injection of talent would help achieve that aim.

Even if Treylon Burks takes steps forward in his second season, the Titans have one of the weakest receiving corps in the NFL. Hopkins would be an immediate upgrade who doesn't disrupt any bigger plans for Burks or the offense with Will Levis waiting in the wings to eventually replace Tannehill.

That the 31-year-old has waited this long to make a final decision and is content to keep waiting isn't ideal for Carthon. You'd want him at practice sooner rather than later so he can get adjusted to his new surroundings.

But Tennessee has to at least be encouraged if it's viewed as the most aggressive candidate in the remaining field for Hopkins's signature.