MARCH 4: In an update which comes as little surprise, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes that teams have been calling the Cardinals to gauge the availability of Hopkins (video link). He adds that no decision has been made by Ossenfort and the Arizona front office as of yet, but the situation could change in the days leading up to free agency.
MARCH 3: The Cardinals have a new coaching staff, general manager and the potential to add a franchise player in the draft with the third overall pick. One of their top storylines for the offseason concerns an in-house player, however. 
Wideout DeAndre Hopkins has become the subject of trade speculation recently, especially after it was learned that his no-trade clause is no longer in effect. That clause was voided as a result of the six-game PED suspension Hopkins served at the start of the 2022 campaign, one which again saw his game action limited. The 30-year-old does not have any guaranteed money remaining on his deal.
That could make him a trade candidate, especially if the Cardinals look to rebuild in the coming years under head coach Jonathan Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort. Hopkins showed that he is still productive when healthy, posting 717 yards and three touchdowns in only nine games in 2022. However, a trade would result in $8.1MM in cap savings this season, and just under $15MM in 2024.
“I had a great talk with D-Hop a couple weeks ago,” Ossenfort said, via team reporter Darren Urban. “I explained to him what my philosophy was. It was a great conversation. D-Hop has been a great player in this league for a long time. I’m excited to work with him. I think any roster decisions like that, we are in the very early stages right now.”
The three-time All Pro has played three seasons in Arizona, the first of which was the only one in which he was available for a full campaign. Hopkins earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2020 after recording his sixth career 1,000-plus yard season, but has been limited to 106 catches, 1,289 yards and 11 scores since then. Those numbers are certainly noteworthy, but they still fall short of expectations given the substantial extension he signed upon being traded from Houston. His deal carries cap hits of $30.75MM and $26.2MM in the next two years.
Between that financial burden, along with Hopkins’ missed games, trade value could be relatively underwhelming from the Cardinals’ perspective. Veteran reporter Mike Jurecki predicts (via Twitter) that Arizona would not be able to land a first-round pick in a deal, with a second-rounder coupled with a Day 3 selection being more likely. Part of the reason an acquiring team could wind up spending a top selection, on the other hand, is the underwhelming nature of this year’s free agent class at the position, and the relative lack of impact wideouts in the 2023 draft class compared to recent years.
Ossenfort’s remarks demonstrate that no decision has been made with respect to keeping or moving on from Hopkins. The Cardinals currently have just under $14MM in cap space, but the team faces a number of challenges in improving a roster which went 4-13 last season. Hopkins’ future will no doubt have an impact on their offseason either way.
I thought this was a trade possibility for Green Bay last year, if not for the cap circumstances. Of course, Hopkins’ PED situation muddied those waters. I think there is still a possibility that the Packers try to swing a trade for him, Rodgers or not, but they have just cleared a meager amount of cap space with several restructures. They’ll have to find more to accommodate such a move, though I believe that the willingness may finally be there.
The Cowboys seem to be a possibility, given that they’ve realized that they need another pass catcher to help produce in the receiving corps. It would be bitter for me, if I were a fan, to accept spending more picks on a receiver so soon after dumping Amari Cooper…who also cost high level picks.
Hopkins may be the type of player that they need, as a veteran playmaker who can impact a game but will not need to be the future all on his own. Hopkins’ ability to remain consistent after his missed time is up in the air right now, though. Chances are pretty good that he still is one of the top receivers in the game, but for what it will cost to move him, that needs to beyond certainty.
Receivers, if given a lot of positive reports, for the most part are pretty good bets in the 1st round. I haven’t analyzed this year’s draft enough to make an armchair conclusion, but IMHO the Cowboys would be better off trading up 5 to 10 spots to land another 1st round receiver than trade away capital on Hopkins. It works better for dead money (injuries) and salary cap over the length of time while mitigating your argument about the volume of picks it would take to secure Hopkins at the same time.
As for Green Bay…next year. Rodgers is not winning a Super Bowl there this year and they’re going to need a year with Love, IF he’s the guy, to figure things out.
I agree that Dallas may be better off investing in a drafted receiver, but Hopkins does bring a fair amount of experience as a playmaker in what would be a young receiving corps. Note, I am not necessarily advocating the move, just that I would not be surprised if it were attempted. Like I said, the value in picks lost between this potential trade and the Cooper deal would tough to get past for me.
If Green Bay does not make an offer this year, I doubt that they do so for Hopkins. Their cap situation is very limiting as is, so they would have a lot of work to do to even attempt it this year. Still, I don’t think that it’s out of the realm of possibility that they try. There are other questions too that could slip-would Tennessee attempt to undo it’s Robert Woods attempt to acquire a veteran receiver? Would Jacksonville give up assets during its rebuild that would be well spent on defense? Does Cleveland get desperate to further support its Watson deal? It’s still early to tell.
Agree on both points. Flashy and splashy is nothing new for the Cowboys and as for GB, Hopkins will most likely need to go to a team more centered by if not a youthful at least a more permanent fixture of a QB, an offense with momentum. No sense in trading the sun and moon and then having Rodgers retire and/or Love not work out.
I haven’t seen there numbers but I imagine Jacksonville or the Bears would be a good landing spot for a high cost WR talent.
Cardinals should definitely be trying to trade him. Those cap hits are insane and they aren’t competing any time soon. I don’t think it’s realistic to expect him to be a top 10, maybe even 15, WR tho. This league is stacked with talented WRs. Cardinals just need to hope a WR desperate team, like the Ravens, will overpay for him.
If he played 17 games, he’d had 120 receptions for over 1400 yards. And half of the games he played, he had backup quarterbacks throwing to him
Don’t forget that Hopkins was a locker room cancer in Houston – that’s why the Texans traded him to the Cardinals for only a 2nd round pick and a washed-up running back (despite Hopkins being named to 3 All-Pro teams while in Houston).
He wasn’t a cancer. He wanted to be fairly compensated and Houston was a dumpster fire that got scared.
Hopkins is signed on a deal from cap hell. Cutting him this year would cost $22,600,000. Keeping him would cost $30,750,00. Can’t afford to cut him, can’t afford to keep him.
The Cardinals would have to send draft picks to the team who takes on DeAndre Hopkins contract at age 31 with nagging injuries and having lost a step.
I mean, if u think kylers the guy, what else you missing to being an elite offense. I’m not a Kyler guy so I’d trade him if I could get a 1st and 2nd.
DHop to Cleveland makes so much sense.
Linking back up with his mate Watson, plus they have some decent other WR options and a great RB. So that offence if it was to get him at fit him under the cap would be insane.
Not sure how you get a deal done however that seems like a great spot for him