Bill Belichick reacts to DeAndre Hopkins joining Titans over Patriots

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reacted Tuesday to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins signing with the Tennessee Titans instead of the AFC East club. 

"We talked to a number of players from the middle of June until now," Belichick told reporters, according to Dakota Randall of NESN. "Talking to other players now. So, you know, there’s a lot of roster movement at this time of year." 

After Hopkins received his release from the Arizona Cardinals late this spring, he reportedly had positive visits with both the Patriots and Titans. However, it was later said some within the Patriots' organization worried the 31-year-old was a bad culture fit in New England due to his practice habits. 

It was then reported on July 16 that Hopkins and the Titans agreed to a two-year, $26M contract with incentives that could bump the deal's worth up to $32M. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler subsequently tweeted the Patriots weren't going to match or better that asking price to land the three-time first-team All-Pro.

"It’s like hundreds of other players we deal with over the course of the year," Belichick added about Hopkins' free-agency decision. "We have so many roster spots. Some sign here, some sign somewhere else. When there’s an agreement, there’s an agreement. When there’s not, there’s 31 other teams." 

Last week, former NFL executive and current ESPN personality Mike Tannenbaum blasted Hopkins for taking the money with Tennessee rather than becoming "the best player on a team that could’ve won the AFC East" and somebody who could've helped Belichick and company answer questions they clearly still have about quarterback Mac Jones. 

New England must choose whether to pick up or decline the fifth-year option attached to Jones' rookie contract by some point next spring. Whether or not the 2021 first-round draft pick earns a vote of confidence from the franchise could impact how team owner Robert Kraft handles the head-coach position beyond the upcoming season.