Cardinals Won't Get What They Want for DeAndre Hopkins
Dilemmas are nothing new to the Arizona Cardinals.
After going through a 4-13 regular season, the team has effectively seen their roster, coaching staff and front office stripped down in favor of a rebuild. There's promise that a new presence in head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort can establish a new culture in the desert.
Yet with a new (and inexperienced) staff comes tough decisions, especially given Arizona's current state. Owner Michael Bidwill and co. will tread carefully when piecing together the building blocks of what they hope to be a new era in Cardinals football.
One of those dilemmas comes in the form of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins (set to be 31 next season) isn't exactly a fit given his high price tag (second-highest cap hit for receivers be and where the Cardinals are at in terms of competing relatively soon.
It feels as if the decision to trade Hopkins was made long ago - that's not where the dilemma sits for Ossenfort and the conversations he's having.
Where things get tricky is what the Cardinals are willing to deem acceptable in exchange for their receiver. Hopkins was dealt to Arizona for running back David Johnson and a second-round pick (on top of swapped picks in the fourth-round of 2020), and Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported earlier the Cardinals were seeking something similar.
Hopkins has been on the trade block since the early days of the offseason and has yet to be dealt. He's due $19.45 million in cash and (assuming there's not another suspension incoming) has proved just how dominant he can be for any team looking to put themselves over the top.
So - why hasn't he been dealt yet?
In a recent mailbag ran, Breer says the Cardinals will have to drop their initial expectations for a return on their star receiver.
"I don’t think it’ll be what they wanted initially. The ask had been a second-round pick and another asset. Based on indications I’ve gotten, that sort of return simply isn’t coming," said Breer.
"I do think he’ll bring back more than Brandin Cooks did for the Texans—Houston got a 2023 fifth-rounder and ’24 sixth-rounder for him from the Cowboys—but it’ll probably be closer to that than what Arizona is looking for.
"The reason why? He’s missed 17 games in the past two years (11 because of injury), he’s about to turn 31 and he’s coming with strings attached (one being that he really doesn’t practice during the week, which is more manageable in some places than others). Because of that, you can immediately eliminate teams that are rebuilding, have a rookie quarterback or might need a culture change (where the highest-paid players need to drive the atmosphere). That means the market is limited. He’s also owed $19.45 million for 2023."
Breer isn't the first person to say the Cardinals will have to drastically lower their price tag on Hopkins. Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi said the market surrounding Hopkins was "really soft":
“I think his market is really soft. I don’t think anybody wants to get into the Hopkins business, and then have to redo his contract,” said Lombardi.
“From what I’m told, it’s soft. There’s not a lot of action out there on him. He’s a good player, he’s always covered, but he always comes up with the football. But there’s other things that go into this, that I’m not at liberty to discuss that’s probably holding it all back.”
It's clear that Hopkins' age, contract and inability to stay on the field has impacted his price tag. Although it feels as if the Cooks trade (fifth and sixth-round picks) would massively disappointing, that might be more aligned to the reality of the situation.
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