Patriots Playing 'Waiting Game' With Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins
The Arizona Cardinals have been trying to offload WR DeAndre Hopkins for awhile now with little movement (at least to the public eye).
A divorce is the best outcome for both sides: The Cardinals will shed some fat off the salary cap while Hopkins will likely be shipped to a team hoping to contend in the postseason.
With Arizona likely looking to acquire some draft capital in 2023, the pressure is on GM Monti Ossenfort to strike an acceptable deal to get Hopkins out of the picture before the 2023 NFL Draft - which is now under 40 days away.
One team frequently connected with Hopkins are the New England Patriots, for a few different reasons.
Ossenfort has numerous ties with the organization dating back to his time there in the front office. New England is looking to capitalize on Mac Jones still being on a rookie quarterback contract and is in the market to add some serious weapons (even after the signing of JuJu Smith-Schuster).
Current offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien previously coached Hopkins when the two were with the Houston Texans, too.
The Athletic's Jeff Howe reported the Patriots made contact with Arizona on Hopkins. That was nearly a week ago, and since then New England has signed receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
However, the Patriots are still keeping tabs on Hopkins, as they are "waiting out the market" on both Hopkins and free agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. according to the Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard.
Bedard also mentions the Cardinals will be in for a "rude awakening" in their demands for Hopkins (a second-round pick plus something else) after seeing Brandin Cooks go for a fifth and sixth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys.
Different players, for sure. But Arizona just might have to settle in order to get Hopkins out.
NBC Sports' Darren Hartwell suggested the Patriots would too play the waiting game on Hopkins:
"The longer the Patriots wait on Hopkins, the more Arizona's asking price could drop, especially if other wideouts get dealt for lesser compensation or if other teams like the Cowboys drop out of the market. The risk, of course, is another team swooping in to accept the Cardinals' asking price and leave the Patriots empty-handed," Hartwell said.
Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi recently described Hopkins' market as "soft" on his recent podcast:
“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 (h/t WEEI).
“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.”
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