Obstacles to potential DeAndre Hopkins commerce
The Arizona Cardinals are having an offseason of adjustments. One may embody buying and selling huge receiver DeAndre Hopkins. With a brand new teaching employees coming and quarterback Kyler Murray anticipated to overlook the beginning of the season recovering from his torn ACL, is is speculated that Hopkins may need out of Arizona and the Cardinals may search a commerce.
Buying and selling a star receiver shouldn’t be that arduous. Nevertheless there are obstacles.
SI.com’s Albert Breer believes that the Cardinals may solely have the ability to land a Day 2 draft decide for Hopkins.
Why?
Accidents and age
Hopkins has performed in solely 19 video games during the last two seasons.
He missed six video games with a suspension, the opposite 9 had been associated to his hamstring and knee.
For those who consider that Hopkins’ optimistic check for hint quantities of a banned anabolic substance, which may not be purpose for concern. Nevertheless, if there’s a probability he did truly knowingly use a banned substance, it raises questions.
Whereas he missed solely two video games in his total profession earlier than 2021, he’s one to overlook observe time to take care of his well being, and he has gutted out quite a lot of video games with accidents.
He will probably be 31 years outdated earlier than subsequent season. Regardless of being an elite receiver, groups may see a Julio Jones-like decline coming. Age 31 was the start of the decline for Jones and A.J. Inexperienced.
Wage
Hopkins will make greater than $19 million in 2023. None of it’s assured. His cap hit for a group buying him could be simply the wage.
Whereas that may be a massive cap hit, it isn’t whilst a lot because the cap hit for Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Christian Kirk, whose contract will depend $23 million in opposition to the cap in 2023.
Hopkins has a non-guaranteed $19.45 million due in 2023 and a non-guaranteed $14.915 million due in 2024.
These are fairly first rate numbers for among the best receivers within the recreation.
What can the Cardinals count on to get for Hopkins?
The Cardinals bought Hopkins mainly for a second-round decide from the Houston Texans in 2020.
Might they get a first-rounder for him now?
That might rely. He’ll need to go to a contending group, so it could be a decide within the late first spherical. Relying on the desperation a group has — say the Packers are attempting to persuade Aaron Rodgers to not retire, would they offer up their first-round decide? Maybe.
However for the reason that Cardinals bought Hopkins for a second-round decide three years in the past, getting one in 2023 wouldn’t be a horrible factor.
Listing
The 2022 PFWA All-NFL team
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