The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl without a star wide receiver, but they could reportedly make an elite offense even scarier by acquiring DeAndre Hopkins.
NFL insider Benjamin Albright told PHNX Cardinals that Kansas City is the "primary suitor" for Hopkins. He doesn't know the draft compensation the Cardinals would receive, but he said it's more likely they get a second-round pick than a first.
After the 2022 season, theScore's Jordan Schultz reported that the Cardinals plan to trade Hopkins this offseason.
Arizona hired a new general manager and head coach after a disappointing four-win season, and Hopkins is set to make $19.45 million (with a $30.75 million cap hit) in 2023. The Cardinals could seek a clean slate by moving the three-time All-Pro wideout, who turns 31 in June.
Hopkins began his Cardinals career by tallying 1,407 yards and six touchdowns in 2020. However, multiple lower body injuries limited him to 10 games in 2021, and he served a six-game suspension to start the 2022 season for violating the NFL's PED policy.
Yet he remains an impact player when on the field. Hopkins totaled 474 receiving yards in six full games with quarterback Kyler Murray last season.
Now imagine what he can accomplish when catching passes from Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs flourished without a star replacement for Tyreek Hill, but they could still benefit by solidifying the position this offseason. JuJu Smith-Schuster is a free agent after garnering 78 catches for 933 yards on a one-year deal. The depth chart features several talented question marks in Mecole Hardman, Kadarius Toney, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Adding Hopkins could be great news for Kansas City, but terrible for all opposing defenses.
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He looked pretty dang good last year. Better than any receiver we had. You can double Kelce or D Hop, but not both.
He either didn't watch the Cardinals play after Hopkins came back from suspension - because he was a top 3 WR for a 7 game stretch - or he has zero ability to recognize talent. Because no matter how anyone feels about picking him up, there's no way he can be categorized as a scrub, or washed up, etc.
Look at his freaking numbers. He's unstoppable outside. He couldn't be covered. That was with Murray and Colt McCoy. Imagine Mahomes throwing to him. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Reerun_KC:
At what cost vs drafting players on rookie contracts.
Who says you can’t get a player that’s better?
I totally get what you are saying and it makes perfect sense.
Then I think about D Hop and Kelce being unstoppable forces. MVS taking the top off defenses, forcing teams to keep a Safety back, which gives Pacheco a chance to eat up some yards on the ground.
Toney and Sky Moore keeping teams off balance with Jet Sweeps. Noah Gray and Ju Ju dominate lessor counter parts to keep the chains moving.
This would close to having the 2018 Offense again. :-) [Reply]
Hopkins would be awesome to have. I think that the Chiefs could go undefeated with him added to the offense. Thankfully, they have a new GM and the pain the ass that wanted too much for Patrick Peterson is gone, so maybe a deal can be made. [Reply]
Originally Posted by JohnnyHammersticks:
He either didn't watch the Cardinals play after Hopkins came back from suspension - because he was a top 3 WR for a 7 game stretch - or he has zero ability to recognize talent. Because no matter how anyone feels about picking him up, there's no way he can be categorized as a scrub, or washed up, etc.
Look at his freaking numbers. He's unstoppable outside. He couldn't be covered. That was with Murray and Colt McCoy. Imagine Mahomes throwing to him.
You guaranteeing 3-5 years of HOF play without injury? I’d you can promise that. Then maybe. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
The team LAR put on the field in that first SB vs. NE wasn't even the same team we faced earlier that season. Their running game completely tanked when Gurley's knee or whatever went arthritic, and their whole offense was predicated on that run game. Once it became the Goff show, bill just overwhelmed him.
Sidenote: And that was the worst SB in my memory. Could not have been a more boring shitshow from just a football perspective. I would gladly sacrifice my left nut to not ever watch a Chiefs' team score just 13 points in a SB.
CIN's defense didn't win them a SB last year.
Our defense last year vs. BUF was too old and too slow. That's been addressed. And will continue to be addressed. The unit we put on the field next season will be a top-10 squad, barring injuries, and they'll start the year fast.
And what does Andy always say? "Keep firing. Just keep firing, boys!"
Let's give him some ammo for those guns, I say.
Oof did you miss us against Tampa scoring 9? [Reply]
I get the #1 offense stuff but we didn't get a ton out of WR. I get Skyy is just coming into his 2nd season, and Toney has huge potential if he can stay healthy, but this offense goes through Kelce.
So while I'd love to see Hopkins chase rings with KC, he's probably playing within a similar window as Kelce, so I'd rather use those resources to try and develop the next pass catching producer for the next 4-5+ years. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCUnited:
I get the #1 offense stuff but we didn't get a ton out of WR. I get Skyy is just coming into his 2nd season, and Toney has huge potential if he can stay healthy, but this offense goes through Kelce.
So while I'd love to see Hopkins chase rings with KC, he's probably playing within a similar window as Kelce, so I'd rather use those resources to try and develop the next pass catching producer for the next 4-5+ years.
Originally Posted by JohnnyHammersticks:
He either didn't watch the Cardinals play after Hopkins came back from suspension - because he was a top 3 WR for a 7 game stretch - or he has zero ability to recognize talent. Because no matter how anyone feels about picking him up, there's no way he can be categorized as a scrub, or washed up, etc.
Look at his freaking numbers. He's unstoppable outside. He couldn't be covered. That was with Murray and Colt McCoy. Imagine Mahomes throwing to him.
And when the play breaks down, Mahomes and D Hop can play some back yard football, that would be entertaining for sure. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCUnited:
I get the #1 offense stuff but we didn't get a ton out of WR. I get Skyy is just coming into his 2nd season, and Toney has huge potential if he can stay healthy, but this offense goes through Kelce.
So while I'd love to see Hopkins chase rings with KC, he's probably playing within a similar window as Kelce, so I'd rather use those resources to try and develop the next pass catching producer for the next 4-5+ years.
In 4-5 years that dudes looking to get paid and the same suspects will be saying to let him go... [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
In 4-5 years that dudes looking to get paid and the same suspects will be saying to let him go...
Right but it layers the production over years.
We need someone(s) to replace Kelce's production in a couple years. If we can do that and fit in Hopkins, I'm all for it, but I think for KC its more about layering the development at skill positions so you're not filling multiple holes when guys either drop off or command big contracts. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chris Meck:
Without DHop, but with Chris Jones, Sneed, a quality LT, a quality RT, Nick Bolton, and a GM who drafts well-The Chiefs could 3 peat.
You sign Dhop, you probably have to cut MVS, and you're back to hero ball. Only not as good, because Hopkins is no Tyreek Hill.
This whole thought process is dumb.
This offense was BETTER with a more diverse but less individually great corps of weapons. It's like you guys just didn't notice.
Lolz, I don't think anyone's really banging on the table here. We're really just blue-skying more than anything. Chill a little. We're just having a bit of fun. It's the offseason. it's talk about the absurdity of having DHop, or talk about the new terminal additions at KCI.:-)
Two things though: Veach seemed to believe that he could keep CJ and the rest of the defense intact (minus probably Frank), keep OBJ, and sign Hill last year. So he had a plan on how to fit all that under the cap. So if Veach does acquire DHop I have no doubt he'll be able to do it without having to lose Bolton, Sneed, and the rest. Veach wouldn't go get DHop and trash the rest of the team. He's not that stupid.
Second, signing DHop doesn't mean we have to play hero ball. At all. He isn't going to run endless go routes; he's a complete, elite WR that can run every route. The go routes are probably the ones he won't run. Or at least not nearly as often. And who cares if we lose MVS in the process? I mean, he did a great job for us, but really he's just a limited role speed receiver; we could probably draft a guy that could be developed into an MVS clone by November. Pure speed is replaceable through the draft.
DHop, though, tilts the field. 90+% of secondaries can't single him up. he was considered the best WR in the NFL just a couple seasons ago. And he's still one of the best in the game vs. both man and zone, something JuJu isn't. He even has the advantage over Hill, in part due to that huge catch radius. But you can't single up Travis either. It creates a conundrum that most defenses will not be able to solve, especially with Pat under center. DHop is basically as unguardable as Kelce.
And that opens to the door to an array of possibilities that . . . well, some are probably unimaginable. But two SB Rings in a row becomes nearly inevitable. Three in a row seems almost likely. 6,000 yards/60 TDs? how about doing it twice in a row? Perfect season? Perfect seasons?
It's like dreaming you're in Wonka's Chocolate Factory. [Reply]
