The biggest blockbuster of the NFL season was the Patriots sending Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns for a draft pick, but New England reportedly attempted to pull off an even bigger deal involving the linebacker.

The Patriots tried to trade Collins to the Texans in exchange for star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, but they were rebuffed by Houston, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The idea was to swap two stars who would soon require big-money extensions.

The Patriots also reportedly attempted to acquire Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph.

While the Collins-Hopkins deal never came to pass - and while New England made the Super Bowl without getting a star in exchange for Collins - the thought of Tom Brady throwing to Hopkins is enticing.

The receiver has established himself as one of the league's best despite consistently playing with sub-par quarterbacks. He had a down year in 2016 - failing to hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark - but the 24-year-old caught 111 passes for 1,521 yards the season prior.

Brady has a solid arsenal of receiving weapons, but Hopkins would have been the most talented wideout he's ever played with, not named Randy Moss.