The major periods of offseason roster-building have already come and gone in the NFL, but there are still plenty of recognizable names still lurking on the open market. While teams are currently going through their offseason workouts and opening up minicamps before the summer break, GMs could still look to make tweaks to the roster before everyone reconvenes for training camp.
With that in mind, we have a handful of bold predictions of what may go down in the NFL between now and the start of the regular season, which includes new homes for some of the high-profile free agents, one blockbuster trade, and one team holding on to one of its young assets.
Dalvin Cook signs with Dolphins
There have been a bunch of breadcrumbs that link Dalvin Cook to the Miami Dolphins. Upon his release from the Minnesota Vikings, Cook, who is a Miami native and played high school football at Miami Central, posted a photo of himself on Instagram dancing at Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Dolphins. The club has also reportedly expressed interest in the 27-year-old, so there could very well be a marriage here. While Miami does have a cluster of running backs — including Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, and rookie De'Von Achane — Cook would immediately slot in as the top dog in the backfield and join an offense that features Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
DeAndre Hopkins lands with Patriots
Hopkins is reportedly set to visit New England next week, firmly opening up the possibility that he inks a deal to play under Bill Belichick. The Patriots desperately need some top-tier talent at the wide receiver position, so Hopkins makes plenty of sense from a football standpoint. He also has familiarity with the club's offense under new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, who he played under when they were both with the Houston Texans. In those six seasons, Hopkins AVERAGED roughly 96 catches, 1,300 yards receiving, and eight touchdowns. Of course, New England shouldn't expect that level of production, but Hopkins certainly still has plenty left in the tank. Belichick also has plenty of affinity for the player, saying "he's every bit as good as anybody I've ever coached against" last season. From a Patriots standpoint, pursuing Hopkins makes sense. With Hopkins taking a visit, he's at least open to the possibility of coming aboard.