Dan Campbell declines comment on if Detroit Lions are interested in WR DeAndre Hopkins

Detroit Free Press

They will be without their top deep threat for the first six games of the season, but Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said he likes the makeup of his team’s receivers room — even as five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins sits in free agency.

“I like our receiver room,” Campbell said before the Lions’ sixth organized team activity practice of the spring Thursday. “I think we got a good mix of different types of guys. I think it’s important really in your skill position, between tight ends, backs and receivers that you have a mix of different types of skill sets. And I feel like we have that.”

Campbell declined comment on whether he’s intrigued by the possibility of signing Hopkins, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals last week.

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Hopkins, 30, was one of the best receivers in the NFL early in his career. He had six 1,100-yard seasons in a seven-year span from 2014-20 but has missed 15 games the past two years because of injuries and suspensions.

The Lions return their three leading receivers from last season in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds, added veteran Marvin Jones in free agency and will welcome Jameson Williams back from a gambling-related suspension in late October.

Williams’ absence will leave the Lions without their top vertical threat early in the season, but Campbell said the Lions have enough balance at the offensive skill positions to make due.

St. Brown, one of the NFL’s best possession receivers with 196 catches his first two seasons, has talked of becoming more of a deep threat this year. Trinity Benson and Maurice Alexander are among the backup receivers competing for roster spots. And the Lions spent draft picks on running back Jahmyr Gibbs, tight end Sam LaPorta and receiver Antoine Green.

“We’ve got possession, explosive, we’ve got speed. We got consistency. Quickness,” Campbell said. “So I just think we have a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things and so the more versatility you have, that opens up your packages personnel wise and matchup wise.”

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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