I agree with everything your saying.
I believe what made DHOP such a standout was his catch radius. Not his speed or quicknesses. Hes never really been a speed guy.
No matter how off target or LATE Fitz or Mallet was, Hopkins was making acrobatic 1 handed disfigured catches. It wasn't that Fitz was so great...it was DHOP was SO GREAT and made Fitz look OK.
The difference in my opinion is that he is not making THOSE plays at the rate he was the last few years. The pass he tipped for the pick, just last year he made...I have the picture on my screen saver.
Can we expect him to do that ALL the time...NO. But when there's a drop off its noticeable...like this year...and yes a large part goes to Brock. But like you mentioned he's gonna have to develop more of those veteran nuances that non speed guys like Fitzgerald developed. Especially if we are gonna continue to put subpar QBs in the starting lineup.
Overall, Hopkins is a stud with the POTENTIAL to be hall of fame. He just needs to continue working and he will be fine.
Brock on the other hand is one more hit away from being a lost cause.
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