Cardinals Could Trade DeAndre Hopkins to These Four Teams
Trading an All-Pro wide receiver is never a popular decision, but that's where the Arizona Cardinals find themselves with DeAndre Hopkins. The writing appears to be on the wall at this point and it'll only be a matter of time before he's gone.
The question remains who makes the most sense to trade for the future Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver? There will be many suitors for Hopkins' services, but there are only a small handful of teams that truly make sense.
Here, I have the four teams that make the most logical sense for acquiring Hopkins with some reasoning to back it up.
Baltimore Ravens
No matter how the Lamar Jackson situation ends, the Ravens need a wide receiver in the worst way. It's been borderline criminal what the Ravens have rolled out at the wide receiver spot in the last few seasons and it's far time things change.
The Ravens and the Cardinals have made a similar trade in the past for the great Anquan Boldin. Could we once again see these teams collaborate to send an aging future Hall of Fame wide receiver to a team looking to compete? I wouldn't rule it out.
The problem with this fit is that the Ravens do not possess a second-round pick, which is what the Cardinals have been rumored to want in exchange. A combination of picks could work, however, and the framework of the Boldin deal (Baltimore's third- and fourth-round picks for Boldin and a fifth) could make some sense.
Kansas City Chiefs
How insane would it be for the Chiefs to trade Tyreek Hill last offseason, win a Super Bowl title without him, and then bring in Hopkins a year later? It sounds like something the NFL scriptwriters would be all over.
The Chiefs will be making some difficult decisions this offseason that has already included releasing four-year starter, Frank Clark. They also will potentially lose left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to Free Agency. With so many difficult decisions looming, it wouldn't be easy to make this move.
Even with all this in mind, the wide receiver position could use some upgrades and Hopkins would be just that. There is still plenty left in the tank for Hopkins to rebound and working with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes sounds amazing.
New England Patriots
I feel that the Patriots are the best team suited to trade for Hopkins. Bill Belichick has publicly stated how much he loves Nuk, so a natural connection is already there. The Patriots have a good amount of cap space and as big a need as any other team for a wide receiver. It just makes sense.
The Patriots are one of the few teams in the NFL that has a young quarterback (albeit enigmatic) and a team ready to compete, so getting a true number-one receiver is a must. The team could look to address this in the 2023 NFL Draft, but they could do that and still add Hopkins.
Out of the five teams listed here, I like the Patriots best to be the suitors for Hopkins. They can make it work and they have the capital to extend for the Cardinals, as well.
New York Giants
If it's not the Ravens then it's the Giants when it comes to teams in dire need of a wide receiver that is coming off a playoff appearance. When looking at this Giants wide receiver room, it's a mess to put it politely.
The Giants have some major problems to address this offseason with both Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones ready to hit Free Agency and both looking for massive contracts. This makes bringing in any player a difficult factor to face.
If the Giants are somehow able to bring back both Barkley and Jones, the need for a receiver will still be a great one. The team has the assets to bring in Nuk, but how long he'd last would be a tough sell to them. Couple in the fact that Hopkins would remain in the NFC and this is a hard sell.
