Cleveland Browns a Wildcard to Sign Former Pro Bowl WR DeAndre Hopkins

After being released by the Arizona Cardinals, WR DeAndre Hopkins is free to sign with any team. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN says the Browns are a wildcard to get Hopkins.

Author:
Brandon Little
Publish date:
May 26, 2023 9:17 PM EDT

In this story:

Cleveland Browns

Until free agent wideout DeAndre Hopkins signs with a team after being released by the Arizona Cardinals he is going to be connected to the Cleveland Browns in some capacity due to who they have at quarterback.

Hopkins and Watson played 38 games together in Houston Texans and that is the reason that ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is calling the Browns a wildcard to sign Hopkins on the open market.

Hopkins has preexisting chemistry with Deshaun Watson -- they played together in Houston from 2017 to 2019 -- and pairing him with Amari Cooper would deepen the intrigue in the AFC North.Cleveland GM Andrew Berry has been very aggressive this offseason in bolstering the defense, and signing Hopkins would be a nod to maximizing Watson's window.

There’s no denying the two were great together while in Houston. While Hopkins was on the field during those 38 games, Watson recorded 9,716 passing yards, 71 touchdowns, to 29 interceptions. The player and production would fit but it may be a good idea when you factor in everything, which you can read about here.

It’s unclear what kind of money Hopkins is going to get as a first-time free agent, though the three-time All-Pro did have 717 receiving yards in just nine games played last season. A wide receiver room led by Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Hopkins would be top-3 in the league on paper.

It still remains unlikely that the Browns opt to sign Hopkins. They have homegrown talent to develop in David Bell and Cedric Tillman, just as they did with Peoples-Jones. But until Hopkins signs, he’s going to continue to be linked to the Browns because of his past with their highest-paid player.

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