A second DeAndre Hopkins trade could transpire soon — perhaps by next week’s draft — and while the Cardinals wide receiver is a bit past his peak, he could impact the Super Bowl LVIII chase if sent to a contender. Will a team come through with a trade?
Hopkins, 31 in June, has loomed as a departure candidate for nearly a year; he is believed to want to land with a contender. The Cardinals have not ruled out retaining the accomplished wideout, but that does not appear the likely conclusion. This does not appear to be an acrimonious split.
“I’ve had a lot of interaction with Hop. He’s been great. Good discussions back and forth,” Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort said (h/t GoPHNX.com). “Hop’s proven to be a good player in this league, and he’s obviously a very talented player. Productive conversations with Hop, but going to keep those between us.”
Hopkins’ second Texans contract ran (five years, $81MM) ran through the 2022 season. While the Cardinals scrapped that deal upon acquiring the former All-Pro in 2020, the extension the sides agreed to tacked on two extra years to Hopkins’ contract. The Cards gave Hopkins $42.75MM fully guaranteed, and the two-year, $54.5MM bump ended up impacting the receiver market in 2022. Now, that contract calls for a $19.5MM base salary. Hopkins’ cap number sits at $29.9MM on Arizona’s payroll.
Although Hopkins previously said he would be open to adjusting his contract to facilitate a trade, the Cardinals have not received big offers. Some teams believe they Arizona be forced to release the 11th-year veteran, and a few have been connected as a destination for the Clemson alum.
A potential AFC duel probably should be mentioned first. The Chiefs have been connected to the big-bodied wideout for several weeks now, being tied to both he and Odell Beckham Jr. Now that OBJ is a Raven, the Chiefs — who lost JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman — are running short on options. Kansas City has Marquez Valdes-Scantling in place as its most reliable receiver, though Kadarius Toney provides more upside (and considerably more risk). Andy Reid‘s team bowing out of a Smith-Schuster sweepstakes that ended in an $8.5MM-per-year Patriots deal points to the Chiefs waiting out a Hopkins release. If Hopkins were available in free agency, the Chiefs’ Reid-Patrick Mahomes setup presents receivers a compelling pitch.
The other team Hopkins sounded receptive to playing for, the Bills already roster a high-variance boundary wideout (Gabe Davis) and can use Stefon Diggs across the formation. But they were mentioned as an early suitor. The Bills’ Von Miller move showed the urgency Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott are operating with, and while Diggs’ $24MM-AAV contract would be a complication regarding a Hopkins acquisition, the Bills certainly make sense as a free agency suitor — as acquiring a five-time Pro Bowler would stand to bolster their receiving corps and impede a Chiefs upgrade.
While the Cardinals look to be working with Hopkins’ camp here, his PED suspension voided the no-trade clause in his contract. That would open the door to more options, depending on the compensation offered. The Ravens just outbid the Jets and Giants for Beckham, and a report from ex-GM Michael Lombardi (Twitter link) indicated Lamar Jackson wanted the team to add OBJ and Hopkins. The Ravens have chased receivers for years. Their run-heavy offense has steered some — including Smith-Schuster — away, but they convinced Beckham to sign up to reunite with OC Todd Monken. The team does not have another notable receiver contract on its payroll, though Jackson’s $32.4MM franchise tag poses a problem.
The Giants lurked in the Beckham pursuit, offering an incentive-laden deal, and have either re-signed or added a host of slot receivers this offseason. New York has also done extensive homework on this draft’s receivers, being closely connected to adding one of the first-round-caliber targets. The team did pursue Jerry Jeudy and Brandin Cooks previously. Jets interest probably does not need to be explained much. Expected Jets QB Aaron Rodgers placed Beckham on his wish list, and the team has already added Hardman and Allen Lazard. If the Jets were willing to add Beckham, they are probably open to Hopkins.
Hopkins’ most recent podcast appearance pointed to less interest in being dealt to the Jets or Patriots compared to a Bills or Chiefs landing, and Bill O’Brien — who traded Hopkins when working as the Texans’ GM — coming to New England certainly would create an awkward fit. But if Matt Patricia and Darius Slay can work together again, just about any NFL relationship is salvageable. The Pats discussed Hopkins with the Cards earlier this offseason.
While the Cardinals having shopped Hopkins and discussed him in trades for months, it sounds like the rebuilding team will move on. If the team — which would eat $21.1MM in a pre-June 1 trade, without any contract adjustments — does not receive the offer it wants, is an unexpected reunion completely off the table? Aside from the aforementioned suitors, is there another team who could make a play here?
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Bears
No way that happens
My vote is a dark horse – Chargers
They need another weapon for Herbert if/when they deal Ekeler.
Plus Allen and Williams aren’t consistent enough health wise.
Picking up Hopkins allows them to add more to the defense that needs more run stuffers and could use another rusher in addition to Bosa and Mack in the draft.
Bills. Gotta get creative with that cap number but it makes sense on too many levels to pass on. They cannot under any circumstances let him get to KC. They’re already a notch below the Chiefs and a Mahomes to Hopkins duo is scary with the team already having the best offense in the league. The Bills are going to draft a WR in the first three rounds as it’s a position of need, send a 4th this year and a 4th next year and it frees up more best player available options in those first three rounds this year. Without having to worry about WR, they would benefit hugely by shifting that focus to DT, ILB and maybe running back. It’s a no brainer.
Detroit Lions package up a whatever it takes deal, for #3 overall to get Anderson (if he’s there, otherwise this doesn’t happen), and Hopkins, with AZ eating a good portion of the contract, $$$ depending on amount and quality of picks we send them back with our #6, of course.
Dallas
This is right up the Rams alley.
I think Hopkins will be a desperation signing by a team in free fall, so yes the Rams fit that description. The Titans and Colts would also qualify.
I’d keep him, try to void the contract if he sits out.
save way more money that route?
If you’re going to try to attract players in the future you cant disrespect the stars you have now. That’s the hidden rule in this business. Bad teams can’t lure ppl… but teams that handcuff and hold someone hostage will raise a red flag. Why not raise the white one and get something for him while you get younger at the position.
Principle goes out the window when $ is thrown at a player. Players don’t sign or not sign with a franchise because they’ve been good or bad to previous players. They sign or boy because of money.
As a Bills fan, as much as I’d love to have D-Hop, I don’t see that happening. Brandon Beane seems to be very careful where he puts Bills money, and I don’t see him shelling out the kind of money we expect Hopkins to bring in, when it would put the Bills in a bad place money-wise going forward.
As far as the Chiefs are concerned, they’ve only spent more than $22M in cap space on their entire WR unit twice, from what I can tell. They’re currently sitting just under $22M. Spotrac already shows them almost $6M over cap. Adding Hopkins? Probably not happening.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Pats take him. I know they’re already paying Smith-Shuster and are over cap, but they’re in a division where they’re clearly the weakest team. They have to make a decision to be all in, or throw in the towel now.
I’m showing the Chiefs have $3.8M cap room. No matter, I’m sure they can wiggle their way to get Hopkins if they want.
Lions make too much sense with their cap room and need.
Who Cares…. but whoever trades anything better than a 4th round pick is nuts.