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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

DeAndre Hopkins Requested $18MM-$20MM/Year Extension From Texans

March 18th, 2020 at 2:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Unsurprisingly, it sounds like financials were the motivation for the DeAndre Hopkins trade.

ESPN’s Dianna Russini tweets that Hopkins’ camp approached the Texans and requested an extension that would have paid the receiver around $18MM to $20MM per season. Hopkins’ reps also indicated that the wideout would hold out if he wasn’t given a new deal.

We heard similar rumblings earlier this week, with the Texans recognizing that they would have had to renegotiate Hopkins’ contract at some point. Meanwhile, the front office was more focused on securing new deals for Deshaun Watson and offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil,

Ultimately, the Texans traded Hopkins and a fourth-round pick to Arizona for running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-rounder and a 2021 fourth-rounder.

Hopkins signed a five-year, $81MM extension in 2017, and he’s set to make just $12.5MM in 2020. The Cardinals were presumably aware of these financial concerns when making the trade, so it wouldn’t be shocking if Hopkins has a new deal before the start of the regular season.

Patriots Tried To Trade For DeAndre Hopkins

March 17th, 2020 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Before the Cardinals swung their blockbuster deal for DeAndre Hopkins, the Patriots tried their hand with the Texans, Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter video link) hears. The Patriots were in on talks for the wide receiver over the past couple of weeks, but ultimately did not get a deal done.

During the talks, the Patriots might have been operating with the assumption that they’d be reunited with Tom Brady. Of course, that’s no longer the case – Brady announced on Tuesday morning that he’s leaving New England. Bill Belichick and the Patriots are of course no strangers to bringing in big name receivers, like when they traded for Randy Moss way back in 2007 or when they briefly signed Antonio Brown last season.

It’s possible that they made a push for Hopkins as part of a broader effort to entice Brady to stay. Despite the dominance of their defense New England’s offense struggled for much of last season, and the Pats were frequently criticized for not giving Brady enough weapons after the retirement of Rob Gronkowski.

It’s unclear what the Patriots were offering, although it’s possible that the Texans weren’t inclined to send him to a conference rival and would’ve preferred to send him to the NFC even if the compensation was similar or better. Texans coach/GM Bill O’Brien has been on the receiving end of a lot of flak for the startlingly small package he got from Arizona, but at least he was on the phone with multiple teams.

As for New England, Breer adds that they’re still looking at tight ends and receivers, so don’t expect them to give up on upgrading the offense. Obviously finding a new quarterback is now the top priority, but whoever it is will need an upgraded receiving corp. Julian Edelman, who has been Brady’s reliable safety blanket over the years, will turn 34 in May.

Cardinals To Sign Jordan Phillips

March 17th, 2020 at 8:58am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have signed defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The former Bills defender has inked a three-year deal worth $40MM with $18.5MM guaranteed, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Technically, it’s a four-year deal, but Phillips is really only ticketed for three since the 2023 season will be voided if he is on the roster five days after the 2022 season’s Super Bowl is played.

The incumbent Bills didn’t make a major play to keep Phillips. They drafted Ed Oliver at No. 9 overall last year, they have promising 2018 third-rounder Harrison Phillips coming back from injury, and they’re set to retain Star Lotulelei for a third season. Other clubs would have considered Phillips as a franchise tag candidate, but the Bills were in a unique position and allowed him to walk.

Phillips enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in Buffalo. The Bills claimed former second-round pick off waivers from the Dolphins in 2018, and he went on to become a key component of the Bills’ elite pass D. Last year, he tallied 9.5 sacks – nearly double the amount he totaled between all of 2016, 2017, and 2018. He also had 16 quarterback hits. The advanced metrics weren’t fond of his work (Phillips ranked just No. 103 out of 113 qualified interior defenders) but NFL evaluators, especially those in Arizona, didn’t mind.

Cardinals Place Second-Round Tender On K Zane Gonzalez

March 16th, 2020 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals are placing a second-round tender on kicker Zane Gonzalez, per SiriusXM’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).

After appearing in five games for Arizona during the 2018 season, Gonzalez got into all 16 games during the 2019 campaign. He ended up having the best season of his professional career, connecting on 88.6-percent of his field goal tries and 97.1-percent of his extra point attempts.

The 2017 seventh-round pick out of Arizona State spent the first year-plus of his career with the Browns.

Latest On DeAndre Hopkins

March 16th, 2020 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Texans stunned the football world by trading star DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals. We’ll run down the latest on the trade here:

  • The Texans recognized that they would have to renegotiate Hopkins’ contract at some point if they wanted to keep him, but they’re prioritizing new deals for Deshaun Watson and offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil, Yahoo’s Charles Robinson tweets. Hopkins had three years remaining on his team-friendly contract, so the Texans felt that a fresh deal was premature. Meanwhile, they see opportunities to replenish at wide receiver via the draft, as well as some options for trades. All in all, the Texans viewed the Hopkins trade as the first step towards a larger plan that will cover them on both sides of the ball.
  • Another contributing factor: Ongoing friction between Hopkins and head coach Bill O’Brien, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.

Texans To Trade DeAndre Hopkins To Cardinals

March 16th, 2020 at 12:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Minutes after their David Johnson trade surfaced, the Texans and Cardinals will top that deal. The Texans have agreed to send All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Hopkins will be included in the Johnson trade, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The seven-year veteran now becomes the centerpiece of said trade. Not only are the Texans taking all of Johnson’s contract, but it appears they are dealing Hopkins without getting a first-round pick back.

Interestingly, this deal thus far does not include any first-round picks. The Texans will trade Hopkins and a fourth-round pick for Johnson, a 2020 second-rounder and a 2021 fourth-rounder, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter).

This marks one of the biggest skill-position trades in recent memory, and the Cardinals will now have a Hopkins-Larry Fitzgerald–Christian Kirk receiver trio. A rumor surfaced earlier Monday about Hopkins being available, and SI.com’s Albert Breer adds (on Twitter) that the dominant receiver came up in trade rumors in August and October. Bill O’Brien took over personnel duties last May.

Hopkins, who will turn 28 this summer, has been a first-team All-Pro in each of the past three seasons. He’s made four of the past five Pro Bowls. One of the top contested-catch players in modern NFL history, the former first-round pick will now be tasked with helping the Kyler Murray-centered Arizona offense take steps forward. Cardinals GM Steve Keim interestingly got off the Johnson contract and acquired Hopkins without having to give up a first-round pick. The Cardinals hold this year’s No. 8 overall pick. The second-rounder they are giving up is the No. 40 overall selection.

Hopkins signed a five-year, $81MM extension in 2017. Three seasons remain on that deal. While it is certainly possible the Cardinals will redo his contract, as the Raiders did upon acquiring Antonio Brown last March, Hopkins is set to make just $12.5MM in 2020 base salary.

This marks an unusual move for the Texans, who have used Hopkins as their offensive centerpiece since Andre Johnson vacated that role several years ago. Hopkins has five 1,100-yard seasons since 2014, the last year he and Johnson were on the same team, and has 54 career touchdowns. His 504 receptions, 6,590 yards and 46 TDs each rank second in the league over the past five years (h/t Field Yates of ESPN.com). Both Kenny Stills and Will Fuller are under contract for 2020, but neither is signed beyond next season.

The Texans have been active traders since O’Brien took over as de facto GM (and now actual GM). They dealt two first-round picks and a second for Laremy Tunsil and unloaded third-rounders for Duke Johnson and Gareon Conley. This Hopkins-Johnson deal will give the Texans a second-rounder back, but the team obviously is not as strong offensively after making the move.

Cardinals Trade David Johnson To Texans

March 16th, 2020 at 12:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals and Texans have agreed to a trade that will send David Johnson to Houston, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The deal, in effect, amounts to a salary dump for Arizona. The Texans will take on his entire salary, Schefter adds (on Twitter).

Exact terms of the exchange are not yet known, but the Texans probably didn’t give up much to facilitate the deal.

The Cardinals said that releasing Johnson was “not an option” this year. Due $13MM/year on his monster deal, and releasing him would have saddled the team with a $16.2MM dead money hit. Instead, they’ve escaped some of that obligation with the trade.

Johnson’s was once one of the league’s very best running backs. But, thanks to ankle and back injuries, he’s been a shell of his former self. Last year, the Cardinals limited his carries and pushed him further down the pecking order by trading for Kenyan Drake in the middle of the season. Drake, meanwhile, will remain tied to the club thanks to the transition tag.

Last year, Johnson missed time and averaged just 3.7 yards on 94 totes. His last big year came in 2016, when he earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro nods as he ran for 1,239 yards. Before that, he put his name on the map as a rookie by averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

This won’t be the only blockbuster move made by the Texans this week. Shockingly, we heard earlier today that the Texans could even entertain trade offers for DeAndre Hopkins.

Cardinals Use Transition Tag On Kenyan Drake

March 16th, 2020 at 10:20am CST by Sam Robinson

With less than an hour before the franchise-transition tag deadline, we have our first transition tag of this year’s cycle. The Cardinals will use the transition tag on Kenyan Drake, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The NFL released its tag numbers, and the Cardinals will make by far the lowest payment of the teams that used them this year. The Drake transition tag will cost just $8.5MM. Arizona still has David Johnson on its roster on a $13MM-AAV deal. While Drake loomed as a possible tag candidate, the Cards are set to devote extensive funds to their running back spot.

While the Cardinals are the first team to deploy a transition tag this year, 12 others used their franchise tags. This will keep the former Dolphins starter off the market, but Drake can sign offer sheets with other teams. The Cardinals would not any compensation if they fail to match an offer another team submits to Drake.

Steve Keim said the Cards will not release Johnson, with a release not doing anything to help the team in the way of cap savings. It would tag Arizona with $16MM-plus in dead money. Drake supplanted Johnson as the Cards’ starter last season and was the more effective back down the stretch.

More than two years younger than Johnson, Drake, 26, averaged 5.2 yards per carry with the Cardinals after the team traded for him last season. The Dolphins used him as a part-time starter in 2018, with Frank Gore playing a major role in Miami’s backfield that season. Drake, though, profiles as a potentially strong backfield investment. He has only logged 456 carries in his career and and has totaled 822 receiving yards in the past two years.

Broncos Notes: Harrises, Wolfe, OL, RBs

March 14th, 2020 at 2:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos both traded for A.J. Bouye (and a $13MM salary) and used their franchise tag on Justin Simmons, signaling Chris Harris‘ time in Denver was almost certainly up. The four-time Pro Bowler said during an NFL Network appearance the door is “pretty much” closed on a 10th Broncos season (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala). The decorated cornerback is expected to have at least 10 teams pursuing him, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. The Browns, Cardinals, Chargers, Chiefs, Cowboys, Jets, Lions, Raiders, Seahawks and Texans are expected to have “strong” interest in signing the 30-year-old defender, Renck adds. This list interestingly omits the Eagles, who have been linked to Harris at multiple junctures over the past five months.

Although Harris is arguably the best slot cornerback in NFL history, his consistent usage as a boundary player as well will likely push his market near the current corner standard of $15MM per year. He turned down the Broncos’ three-year, $36MM proposal before the trade deadline.

Here is the latest out of Denver:

  • Denver’s Week 1 starting defensive line consisted of Derek Wolfe, Shelby Harris and Adam Gotsis. All three are poised to hit the market, with Gotsis doing so after being benched early in the season. Shelby Harris would prefer to stay in Denver but has acknowledged, at 28, this is his lone chance at a big payday. The Colts are among the teams interested in the late-blooming D-lineman, Renck notes.
  • On the Wolfe subject, the eight-year veteran has been the most vocal about returning to Denver. His agent’s Combine meeting with the Broncos led him to believe he will hit the market. “[The Broncos] talked to my agent at the Combine. … It looks like they’re going to let me hit free agency, see what the market is,” Wolfe said during an interview with KOA Radio (via DNVR Sports’ Andrew Mason, on Twitter). “… It’s a nice way of saying, ‘We like you; we love you, but not for that kind of money.” The Broncos may bring back Wolfe or Shelby Harris, but not both. The team drafted Dre’Mont Jones in Round 3 last year, so it may be covered at one of its defensive end spots. Wolfe, 29, said during an interview with Sirius XM Radio (audio link) he is eyeing two to four more seasons.
  • The Broncos’ interest in a running back stems not necessarily from their current regime’s desire to replace Phillip Lindsay but to complement him, per Renck, who adds the team is expected to add a bigger back in either free agency or the draft. Royce Freeman has underwhelmed in that role over the past two seasons.
  • The Broncos plan to pursue a guard on the market, Renck notes (on Twitter). They declined Ronald Leary‘s 2020 option, so a replacement will be needed. They also may try to add a swing tackle and are likely to draft a tackle, which makes sense given left tackle Garett Bolles‘ struggles.
  • Elijah Wilkinson was supposed to work as a Broncos swing man in 2019, but Ja’Wuan James‘ near-season-long absence thrust Wilkinson into Denver’s right tackle spot. He spent time as a first-string guard in 2018 and stands to factor into the Broncos’ 2020 plans at one of those two positions. The team is expected to use a priority tender on Wilkinson, per Renck. This will likely mean a second-round tender. That will cost more than $3MM.

Bucs Unlikely To Trade For David Johnson

March 12th, 2020 at 9:50am CST by Zachary Links

Some have speculated that Bucs head coach Bruce Arians could make a play for his old pal David Johnson. However, if the Cardinals try to trade the running back, it’s unlikely that the Bucs will be in the mix, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. 

The Cardinals have gone on the record to say that cutting Johnson is “not an option.” The running back is due $13MM/year on his monster contract and releasing him would saddle the team with a $16.2MM dead money hit. If he remains on the team, he’d carry a $14.1MM cap charge for the 2020 season.

Johnson’s was once one of the league’s very best running backs. But, thanks to ankle and back injuries, he’s looked nothing like his old self. Last year, the Cardinals limited his carries and acquired Kenyan Drake via trade before the deadline, further downsizing his role. Drake, meanwhile, is on course to be a free agent later this month.

Even if Drake returns, the Cardinals have not discounted the possibility of keeping Johnson as backfield reinforcement. Then again, they don’t have a whole lot of options. Johnson, simply put, is not the player he used to be, and his contract is an anchor.

Last year, Johnson missed time and averaged just 3.7 yards on 94 totes. His last big year came in 2016, when he earned Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro nods as he ran for 1,239 yards. Before that, he put his name on the map as a rookie by averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

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