Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was among the biggest names on the trade block heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.
Nothing came to fruition on this end Thursday night despite Arizona being in wheeling and dealing mode. After the first round, new Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort addressed the rumors in speaking with media. His response to Hopkins’ trade talks was pretty surprising. “I don’t foresee that happening,” the front office head said.
It was earlier in the offseason that Arizona gave Hopkins, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, permission to seek out a trade. At 30 years old, he doesn’t necessarily fit into the Cardinals’ current rebuild model. Add in Hopkins wanting to join a contending team, and it seemed that a trade would come together in relatively short order.
Instead, value just hasn’t been there as it relates to a potential Hopkins trade. An acquiring team would be on the hook for nearly $20 million against the cap next season.
While a restructure/extension would likely be in the cards, the fact that Hopkins was suspended for the first six games of last season for violating the NFL’s Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) policy adds another layer to what we’re seeing right now.
It got to the point recently that reports indicated the Cardinals might have to release Hopkins altogether.
Arizona Cardinals could still trade DeAndre Hopkins in the NFL Draft
We have to take Ossenfort’s comments with a grain of salt. He’s not going to show his cards when it comes to trade talks with other teams. That just doesn’t make sense. Arizona is in this to get value for a player who was once the most-productive receiver in the NFL.
- DeAndre Hopkins stats (2014-20): 695 receptions, 9,207 yards, 58 TD
During this seven-year span with the Houston Texans and Cardinals, Hopkins averaged nearly 100 receptions for 1,315 yards and eight touchdowns. He surely still has something left in the tank.
We can envision the Arizona Cardinals ultimately moving Hopkins during Day 3 of the NFL Draft on Saturday. That’s pretty much what his value is right now.