Best Fits for Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins
The future of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins appears to be far away from the Arizona Cardinals.
Hopkins arrived to town from the Houston Texans in a trade that is still talked about as one of the best deals in franchise history for Arizona, nabbing Hopkins for running back David Johnson, a second-round pick with pick swaps in the fourth round back in March of 2020.
Hopkins injected new life into Arizona and helped them play some of their best football in recent years. However, just one playoff appearance combined with injuries and a suspension have held back both one of the best receivers in football.
With the Cardinals now looking to rebuild and Hopkins wanting a fresh start (and probably chase a championship), a split is likely the best outcome for both sides.
Pro Football Focus laid out three potential destinations for Hopkins: Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and New England Patriots:
"Hopkins has been the biggest name on the trading block all offseason, and in a year where elite receivers are hard to come by, he is still an option that must be tempting for several teams, even with his contract," said Sam Monson.
"That contract, long seen as an outlier by the rest of the NFL, is significantly more palatable now than it was when he first received it, which could tempt some teams into parting with a draft pick to secure a No. 1 option. Hopkins has gained over 2.0 yards per route run for his entire career despite having a rough quarterback situation for much of that time. He caught over 50% of contested catches last season and at 30 years old, he still likely has multiple seasons at the top before decline sets in.
"Best Fit: Carolina Panthers"
How Each Team Makes Sense for Hopkins
Carolina Panthers
Cap space? Check. The Panthers have $22.6 million on Over The Cap (Hopkins is due $19.45 million in cash). Carolina will be taking their choosing of a talented crop of quarterbacks in the NFL Draft and have added offensive weapons such as Adam Thielen, Miles Sanders and Hayden Hurst. Many believe they have the defense to compete, and if Hopkins is added to the mix, there's hope for Carolina to make serious noise in a depleted NFC South.
New York Giants
New York would have to move some money around with just $3.7 million available to them, but an offense that features Saquon Barkley, Darren Waller, Parris Campbell and Hopkins with (who New York believes to be) a franchise quarterback in Daniel Jones would be quite effective. Maybe sprinkle in Odell Beckham Jr. after Hopkins and you've got a certified Madden All-Star team there under offensive mind Brian Daboll.
New England Patriots
The Patriots are the middle ground between being able to immediately afford Hopkins (Carolina) and having to do some cap magic (New York) to squeeze him on the books. Hopkins will make any offense he lands in better instantly, yet even for a team that can offer JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker, many are skeptical of how New England would operate. There's hope that Mac Jones bounces back after having a defensive coordinator as his offensive coordinator last year (???), especially after a strong rookie season. Still, New England - in terms of fit and excitement - are third on this list.
However, Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort has strong ties with the Patriots, and Hopkins reportedly would be open to rejoining new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, who previously served as his head coach in Houston.
Carolina makes the most sense. New York might be the most fun. New England has the stronger ties to land him.
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