DeAndre Hopkins

Texans Seeking Hopkins, Bouye Extensions

February 2nd, 2017 at 3:28am CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here, but the Texans are hoping to hammer out an extension with DeAndre Hopkins this offseason, owner Bob McNair told reporters on Wednesday (link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). Last year, Hopkins staged a brief holdout at the start of training camp over his contractual situation. McNair also says he wants to strike a long-term deal with pending free agent cornerback A.J. Bouye.

“Those are good young players,” McNair said of Hopkins and Bouye. “Those are the kind of players that we want to keep around here. So, yeah, certainly we’re going to work on that and see if we can get both of them taken care of. It’s certainly our intention.”

Hopkins is scheduled to earn $7.915MM as he enters his fifth-year option year. As one of the league’s most talented wide receivers, he’d be in line for a massive payday if he were ever allowed to reach the open market. The Texans still have the franchise tag at their disposal to keep him through 2018 (or even ’19 with a second tag), but they could have a much happier Hopkins if they can agree to a long-term pact.

Last year, Hopkins had only 78 catches for 954 yards and four touchdowns, but that dip in production can be traced directly to the team’s quarterback woes. In the year prior, he had a career-high 111 receptions for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns on his way to his first Pro Bowl selection.

Currently, A.J. Green leads all wide receivers with a $15MM/year average annual value on his deal. In terms of guaranteed money per year, however, the list is led by Julio Jones ($7.1MM) and Demaryius Thomas ($7MM). Hopkins’ reps will have all of these numbers in mind as they discuss a new deal, particularly given the expected salary cap increases over time.

Bouye went from an unknown to an elite cornerback in a flash. He was nothing but stellar this year but without any real history before that, he’ll make for a very interesting contractual case. It sounds like the Texans will work to lock up the former UDFA before the start of free agency, but his reps may be eyeing a bigger deal than what Houston will offer during the exclusive period. On the most recent edition of PFR’s Free Agent Power Rankings, Bouye was ranked seventh.

It’s hard to come up with a comp for Bouye since he is such a unique case, but I expect him to best teammate Kareem Jackson‘s four-year, $34MM deal ($20MM in total guarantees) signed in 2015. At the time, Jackson only had two truly strong seasons under his belt (2012 and 2014) with three so-so campaigns. Jackson’s first-round pedigree probably helped matters, but Bouye is more than a full year younger than Jackson at the time of his negotiations.

Texans Notes: O’Brien, Hopkins, Bouye

January 15th, 2017 at 10:35am CST by Rory Parks

The Texans will now look ahead to the 2017 campaign after last night’s season-ending loss to the Patriots, so let’s take a look at a few Houston-related notes as the club starts gearing up for another playoff run:

Head coach Bill O’Brien said prior to last night’s game that he would return as the team’s head coach in 2017, and he adamantly reaffirmed that statement after the game was over. O’Brien said, “I’m tired of answering it. I can’t even have a sense of humor about it. I’ll be the Texans’ coach” (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
Star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is preparing to enter his fifth-year option year at a cost of just under $8MM, but Wilson writes that, if history is any indication, the Texans will sign Hopkins to a long-term deal this offseason. Houston has a tradition of hammering out contract extensions for their best players, and despite a statistical regression from his sensational 2015 campaign, Hopkins is clearly in line for a deal that will make him one of the highest-paid wideouts in the league.
Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com names the offensive line as the Texans’ biggest area of need, and she writes that the team will likely draft a quarterback in April and have a competition during training camp to determine the starter. The Texans have just shy of $25MM in cap space, but they do have to address the contract situations of a number of players, including Hopkins and Duane Brown, so unless they can restructure a few deals and somehow shed some of Brock Osweiler‘s salary, they will be unable to make a big splash at the quarterback position.
Cornerback A.J. Bouye came out of virtual anonymity to become perhaps the best cornerback in the league this season, and he did so just as he is about to hit unrestricted free agency. As Wilson writes, a new contract for Bouye will be a top offseason priority for the Texans, and Bouye did say after last night’s game that he would like to be back in Houston. But the franchise tag, which is projected to be over $14MM for cornerbacks this year, will likely be unpalatable for the Texans, and Bouye’s financial opportunities elsewhere may preclude him from giving the Houston a hometown discount. PFR recently named Bouye as the eighth-best free agent in the first version of our 2017 Free Agent Power Rankings.
Despite dealing with some painful injuries this season, one of Bouye’s colleagues in the defensive backfield, Johnathan Joseph, missed just three games in 2016, and per Wilson, the 32-year-old plans to return for his 12th NFL season. Joseph is under contract through 2017, but considering the Texans could save $7MM by cutting him, he may be a release/restructure candidate.
We learned earlier today that Texans DT Vince Wilfork plans to call it a career.

AFC Rumors: Hopkins, Chiefs, Ragland

August 6th, 2016 at 9:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

DeAndre Hopkins displayed his apparent dissatisfaction with the Texans known last week by staging a brief holdout, but the team is not discussing a new contract with the talented wideout. Rick Smith said, via James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link), no negotiations between Houston and Hopkins are transpiring right now.

The 24-year-old wideout, who is coming off back-to-back 1,200-plus-yard seasons, said on an NFL Network interview (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, on Twitter) he’s not stewing over his contract situation. “It’s not something I sit here and think about. … What goes on off the field works itself out,” Hopkins said during the interview.

Owner Bob McNair said previously that the fourth-year receiver’s contract was going to come up in due time. Hopkins is set to make $1.5MM this season. Houston exercised Hopkins’ fifth-year option, putting him on their 2017 books for $7.915MM. As of now, that figure would rank 20th among wideouts in terms of ’17 earnings.

Regarding Hopkins’ situation, which isn’t unique in today’s NFL, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes the 2011 CBA overcorrected the previous problem of underperforming rookies anchoring payrolls. In allowing teams to wait a minimum of three seasons before giving deserving rookies raises, Florio notes the league not instituting a device that would ensure non-busts received their due earnings penalizes the players who do reward teams by outperforming their contracts.

Here’s more from the AFC on preseason eve.

Clark Hunt told media (including Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star) Eric Fisher‘s contract negotiations spanned barely two weeks in late July leading up to training camp. The Chiefs signed the scrutinized left tackle to a four-year, $48MM extension.
Hunt envisions the Chiefs revisiting Eric Berry‘s contract after the season. The franchise’s chairman echoed the reports that said the Chiefs and the All-Pro safety were too far apart on terms by July 15. “As soon as we have an opportunity next year, we’ll sit down with his representatives and see if we can work out a scenario where he could finish his career here. … We couldn’t close the gap this year, but next year’s a different situation,” Hunt said. “I can’t say that there will be anything fundamentally that happens that would make it possible, but it’s certainly something that we’ll talk about.” Berry will make $10.86MM this year as part of the franchise tag, one the 27-year-old talent has not signed and is not expected to for a while.
As he said in an interview with PFR’s Zach Links, ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher does not foresee Berry being in the Chiefs’ long-term plans. The ESPN.com writer noted that simply a year passing and the sides being back at the negotiating table doesn’t mean either will compromise. Berry stands to be one of the most pursued free agents after this season, should the seventh-year safety reach the open market for the first time. The Chiefs are projected to possess just $6.7MM in cap space in ’17, and Dontari Poe will also be a free agent.
The Bills will work out free agent linebackers on Sunday after Rex Ryan backtracked on his statement saying Reggie Ragland likely avoided ligament damage after suffering a knee injury Friday, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports. Ryan said the team is “definitely concerned” about Ragland’s knee, via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (on Twitter). Buffalo’s second-round pick sustained the injury in a non-contact situation. The team is already expected to be without first-round pick Shaq Lawson for multiple games.
The Steelers are involved in multiple contract negotiations, with David DeCastro joining Antonio Brown as players with whom management is discussing deals.

AFC Notes: Bush, Hopkins, Taylor, Raiders

August 1st, 2016 at 7:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

New Bills signee Reggie Bush isn’t committing to playing beyond 2016, as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) reported — prior to Bush agreeing to terms — that the veteran running back wanted to play at least one more season to “round out” his career. Bush, 31, waited to find a new club because he wanted to make sure his ACL injury, suffered when he slipped on the concrete at the Edward Jones Dome last year, was fully healed, per Cole. And while Buffalo has seen its running back depth chart depleted by off-the-field drama, Bush figures to act mainly as a returner, although he could see some work in package plays alongside LeSean McCoy, tweets Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News.

Here’s more from the AFC:

DeAndre Hopkins ended his holdout after a single day over the weekend, and speaking to reporters today, the Texans explained the goal of his decision. “I wasn’t trying to send a message or anything like that,” Hopkins said, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “I was doing what I felt was best for me and my family.” Hopkins will earn under $1.5MM during the upcoming season, but reports yesterday indicated Houston was willing to discuss his contract. Owner Bob McNair echoed that sentiment today, telling reporters the club would “deal with [Hopkins’] contract at the proper time,” although Wilson adds that the Texans remain against negotiating this year.
The Broncos aren’t expected to welcome defensive tackle Phil Taylor back to the club in 2017 after placing him on injured reserve yesterday, according to Troy Renck of Denver7 (Twitter link). In fact, Taylor might be off Denver’s roster in the very near future, as Mike Klis of 9NEWS reports that Taylor’s MRI came back positive — as such, Taylor could be released off IR with an injury settlement. Taylor, a former first-round pick, was signed by the Broncos in February after spending last season out of the NFL while dealing with knee injuries.
Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Raiders will field as many as four new starters on their revamped defense, and that number could include two rookies — defensive lineman Jihad Ward and safety Karl Joseph — says Cole in a separate video. Just this morning, scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas analyzed Oakland’s rookie class, noting that Joseph has the ability to line up against tight ends and a nose for the ball, while adding that undrafted free agent defensive lineman Darius Latham (Indiana) could also play a role.

DeAndre Hopkins Ends Holdout

July 31st, 2016 at 2:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

2:36pm: Hopkins has officially returned to camp, and Texans have expressed an willingness to engage in contract talks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

1:49pm: DeAndre Hopkins‘ holdout is over after after one day, as the Texans wideout has released a statement and will return to camp, according to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Hopkins will hold a press conference tomorrow.

“I too am disappointed that the Texans organization has elected not to enter into contract negotiations to secure my future as a Texan,” reads Hopkins’ statement. “I have expressed my sincere position regarding my contract status and with sound mind have expressed my stance to the Texans organization. My focus also is on the 2016 season and to help my team reach our ultimate goal. Having said that I am returning to the Houston Texans to play for a Super Bowl…”

The 2013 first-round pick is set to earn $1MM in 2016 via his base salary and an additional $445K via a roster bonus, and the team recently picked up the receiver’s $7.92MM fifth-year option for 2017. Paying less than $10MM for two years of All-Pro production is an obvious bargain, and Hopkins’ 2016 base salary ranks 65th in the league. For comparison’s sake, Bears wideout Alshon Jeffery leads all wideouts with a $14.59MM base salary for next season.

Following a breakout 2014 campaign, Hopkins truly established himself as one of the league’s top receivers in 2015. Hopkins finished with career-highs in receptions (111), receiving yards (1,521), and touchdowns (11), earning him his first Pro Bowl appearance, while Pro Football Focus placed Hopkins sixth among their rankings of the league’s pass-catchers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Texans’ DeAndre Hopkins To Hold Out

July 31st, 2016 at 11:50am CST by Ben Levine

SUNDAY, July 31: Smith has issued more comments on this matter. Per Smith, team officials considered negotiating with Hopkins, but ultimately made the decision to hold firm. He added that Hopkins will be fined in accordance with the CBA for each day he is absent (Twitter links to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle).

SATURDAY, July 30, 4:03pm: Texans GM Rick Smith addressed the situation surrounding the team’s No. 1 wide receiver.

“We are disappointed DeAndre has elected not to report to training camp with the rest of his teammates. He has expressed his position regarding his contract status, and we have been clear with both he and his representatives of ours. Our focus is on the 2016 season and all of our collective efforts and attention with be centered on that endeavor,” Smith said, via Schefter (Facebook link).

12:10pm: ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that Hopkins will make that $445K bonus for being on the roster on August 4th. If the wideout is placed on a reserve list, he will not earn the extra money.

11:20am: Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle notes (via Twitter) that the Texans have continually refused to extend players with two years left on their contract, although the J.J. Watt extension was an exception.

Wilson also tweets that Hopkins recently switch representation to Creative Artists Agency.

10:34am: ProFootballTalk.com (on Twitter) reports that Hopkins never showed up to camp in the first place. As the tweet notes, there’s “major procedural differences” between leaving camp and being a no-show.

PFT’s Mike Florio elaborates on the differences, noting that Hopkins is still subject to the $40K fines for not having showed up. If the wideout had left, the Texans could have placed the receiver on the ‘reserve/left squad list.’ Hopkins would have had five days to ponder the punishment, and under this scenario, the team could have barred the receiver from playing in 2016.

10:25am: Texans star DeAndre Hopkins is unhappy with his contract, and the wideout has left camp, according to ESPN’s Tania Ganguli and Adam Schefter (Twitter links). The Texans reportedly “declined to negotiate,” and a hold out is “underway.” Schefter notes that Hopkins will now be subject to $40K fines for each day missed.

The 2013 first-round pick is set to earn $1MM in 2016 via his base salary and an additional $445K via a roster bonus, and the team recently picked up the receiver’s $7.92MM fifth-year option for 2017. Paying less than $9MM for two years of All-Pro production is an obvious bargain, and Hopkins’ 2016 base salary ranks 65th in the league. For comparison’s sake, Bears wideout Alshon Jeffery leads all wideouts with a $14.59MM base salary for next season.

Following a breakout 2014 campaign, Hopkins truly established himself as one of the league’s top receivers in 2015. The wideout finished with career-highs in receptions (111), receiving yards (1,521), and touchdowns (11), earning him his first Pro Bowl appearance. ProFootballFocus.com (subscription required) placed Hopkins sixth among their rankings of the league’s receivers.

The 24-year-old recently said that he isn’t seeking a specific contract and just wants to sign a fair contract.

“I’m not looking for a certain range,” Hopkins told Ganguli. “I just want to be treated for what I’m worth. That’s fair to say, right?”

Of course, Hopkins also previously indicated that he wants to spend his entire career in Houston.

“If I can play my whole career here, I would,” Hopkins said.“I love this place. This organization took a chance on drafting me. You have to look at that…. I love this organization. I love the fans here. I’ll never forget after we went 2-14 (2013), I don’t recall too many fans bailing out on us. It speaks a lot about this city and who they are.”

If the hold out somehow carries into the regular season, the Texans will be relying on several rookies to step up. As Roster Resource shows, Cecil Shorts III will presumably slot in as the team’s top wideout, followed by first-rounder Will Fuller and third-rounder Braxton Miller.

AFC South Notes: Texans, Jags, Hardy, Colts

July 22nd, 2016 at 7:59pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Receiver DeAndre Hopkins is under Texans control for two more seasons, but he’d like to remain in Houston a lot longer than that. “I love this city. I don’t want to play anywhere else but here,” the 24-year-old said Friday, per Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. Hopkins didn’t go into detail, however, about the type of long-term deal he’s seeking. “I’m not looking for a certain range. I just want to be treated for what I’m worth. That’s fair to say, right?”

There’s no word on whether Hopkins and the Texans are progressing toward an extension, but general manager Rick Smith is eager to retain the 2013 first-round pick from Clemson. “He certainly is one of those guys that we’re going to keep around here for a long time hopefully,” Smith stated.

Worst-case scenario, Hopkins will only stay in Houston through 2017, as the club exercised his $7.915MM fifth-year option in April. A long-term accord would surely cost the Texans far more than that on an annual basis, though, considering Hopkins has emerged as an elite weapon despite having caught passes from a slew of mediocre quarterbacks during his first three seasons. Hopkins is coming off his best year, one in which he hauled in 111 passes for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns, and became the first player to amass a 100-yard receiving game with four different QBs in the same season.

The latest on two of Houston’s division rivals:

The Jaguars recently worked out controversial free agent defensive end Greg Hardy and might even sign him, though a league source told Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com that such a move isn’t yet under consideration. However, the door isn’t completely closed on it, notes DiRocco, who opines that the Jaguars shouldn’t sign the 27-year-old because of his repellent behavior in Carolina and his issues last season in Dallas, where he was a headache both for the coaches and from a PR standpoint. From purely a football perspective, Hardy would upgrade a Jacksonville team whose top two edge rushers, Dante Fowler Jr. and Yannick Ngakoue, have zero NFL snaps between them. The Jags also finished just 20th in sacks last year (Hardy has 33 in his past 44 games), though Fowler missed the entire campaign with a torn ACL, Ngakoue was at Maryland and high-profile free agent pickup Malik Jackson was a Bronco.
Contary to DiRocco’s argument, there are some Jaguars who believe Hardy would fit in their locker room, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
After the Colts stumbled through a tumultuous 2015 that resulted in an 8-8 finish, the expectation was that owner Jim Irsay would let go of general manager Ryan Grigson and Chuck Pagano. Irsay did the opposite and extended the pair’s contracts, which has earned quarterback Andrew Luck‘s endorsement. “I think Mr. Irsay showed a lot of guts keeping coach Pagano and Ryan (Grigson),” Luck told Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. “I think the easy thing is to start all over, I really do. I think that was an awesome, gutsy move. I think it surprised me, but then again, I think any decision would’ve surprised me.” One key reason the Colts went from three straight playoff berths to a .500 finish last season was the injury issues that beset Luck, who missed nine of 16 games. Luck also fared poorly in the seven games he did appear in, but that didn’t stop the Colts from awarding the 26-year-old a record-setting extension in June. In regards to the upcoming season, Irsay said of Luck, “I’ve never seen him more motivated. That fire is in his eye in a special way.”
Earlier Friday, the league suspended Indianapolis defensive lineman Arthur Jones four games for violating its performance-enhancing drugs policy.

South Notes: Texans, Jaguars, Saints

April 22nd, 2016 at 4:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Texans exercised the fifth-year option on receiver DeAndre Hopkins‘ contract last week and ensured he’ll be under their control through at least 2017. Not surprisingly, their focus now is to lock him up for the long haul, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle details. The 23-year-old Hopkins certainly seems open to an extension with Houston, having said in February that, “If I can play my whole career here, I would. I love this place.” No deal is imminent, a source told Wilson, but a new accord for Hopkins would surely make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid wideouts. After racking up 76 catches for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns in 2014, his second season, the 2013 first-rounder from Clemson improved his numbers across the board last year. Hopkins totaled 111 catches, 1,521 yards and 11 scores en route to his first Pro Bowl nod.

Here’s more on the AFC South and one NFC South club:

Texans general manager Rick Smith believes he could have ultimately traded Brian Hoyer for a draft pick, but he decided releasing the quarterback last week was the better option for both parties, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. “There may have been some value there for us organizationally, but we felt like this was the right time,” Smith said.
Hays Carlyon of Jacksonville.com came away from the Jaguars’ draft luncheon Friday convinced that UCLA linebacker Myles Jack will be their pick if he’s on the board at No. 5 overall. Jaguars brass, led by GM David Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley, loves Jack’s blend of coverage and rush skills, according to Carlyon. Jack is seventh months removed from a torn meniscus, but CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported earlier this week that it shouldn’t hurt his draft stock.
Former Saints receiver Robert Meachem, who’s looking to make a comeback after missing all of last season, worked out for the club Friday, reports Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate. The Saints used Friday to test Meachem’s speed and conditioning and will have him back in three weeks for on-field work, tweets Leslie Spoon of WWL-TV. New Orleans took Meachem in the first round of the 2007 draft and he went on to catch 141 passes and 23 touchdowns with the team before signing with the Chargers in 2012. After an unproductive season in San Diego, Meachem rejoined the Saints and amassed just 23 receptions and two scores in 26 games from 2013-14.

Texans Pick Up 2017 Option On DeAndre Hopkins

April 15th, 2016 at 5:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Texans have made a roster move that likely didn’t require much deliberation, exercising their fifth-year option for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). McClain reports that Hopkins will earn a $7.915MM salary on his 2017 option.

Despite catching passes from a rotating cast of quarterbacks since making his NFL debut in 2013, Hopkins has managed to take major steps forward each season, and is now one of the most productive pass-catchers in the league. After grabbing 76 balls for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns in 2014, the Clemson product improved his numbers across the board en route to his first Pro Bowl nod in 2015, recording 111 receptions, 1,521 receiving yards, and 11 TDs.

Although Hopkins is now under team control for two more seasons, and the Texans would have the option of using the franchise tag after that, a long-term extension is still possible at any time. The Texans showed with J.J. Watt that they were willing to extend one of their stars well before he played out his fifth-year option, and Hopkins is the club’s top player on the other side of the ball. He has also expressed interest in remaining in Houston for the rest of his career.

“If I can play my whole career here, I would,” Hopkins said in February. “I love this place. This organization took a chance on drafting me. You have to look at that…. I love this organization. I love the fans here. I’ll never forget after we went 2-14 (2013), I don’t recall too many fans bailing out on us. It speaks a lot about this city and who they are.”

Hopkins is the latest 2013 first-rounder to have his option for 2017 exercised — Kenny Vaccaro of the Saints, Tyler Eifert of the Bengals, and Kyle Long of the Bears had their fifth-year options picked up this week as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

DeAndre Hopkins Wants To Spend Career With Texans

February 15th, 2016 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

As a 2013 draftee, Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is eligible for a contract extension for the first time this winter. Houston may not rush into negotiations, since the team still holds a fifth-year option on Hopkins for 2017, but if it were up to him, the wideout would welcome a long-term offer to remain with the Texans. In fact, Hopkins wouldn’t mind spending his entire career in Houston, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes.

[RELATED: Texans to seek quarterback upgrade]

“If I can play my whole career here, I would,” Hopkins said. “I love this place. This organization took a chance on drafting me. You have to look at that…. I love this organization. I love the fans here. I’ll never forget after we went 2-14 (2013), I don’t recall too many fans bailing out on us. It speaks a lot about this city and who they are.”

There has been no indication yet that the Texans have engaged in contract extension negotiations with Hopkins, but there’s still plenty of time to do so. Houston’s previous deal with J.J. Watt also shows that the club is willing to get something done with its top players well before their fifth-year options take effect. Watt and the Texans reached an agreement in early September during the fourth year of Watt’s rookie contract, so if the team follows the same script this time around, that could mean getting serious about a Hopkins extension in the summer.

While Hopkins may want to remain in Houston for his entire NFL career, that doesn’t mean he’ll necessarily want to take a hometown discount. As Wilson outlines, the 23-year-old recently switched agents, hiring Creative Artists Agency to represent him. Star receivers like Julio Jones, Dez Bryant, and Demaryius Thomas all had their recent mega-deals – which are each worth around $14MM per year – negotiated by CAA reps.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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