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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31. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: TE DALTON KINCAID, UTAH
With JuJu Smith-Schuster gone, the Chiefs could try to replace him with one of the wide receivers left. But the best options on this board are players of smaller size, which the Chiefs still have. Instead, they could switch it up and take a chance on a receiving tight end to pair with Travis Kelce. I like the size option with Kincaid.
63. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: EDGE KARL BROOKS, BOWLING GREEN
95. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: EDGE NICK HERBIG, WISCONSIN
My version:
31. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: TE DALTON KINCAID, UTAH
63. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: EDGE FOSKEY, HALL, OJULARI, ANUDIKE-UZOMAH, CARTER (whoever's still on the board from this group)
95. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Pick traded to Arizona with a 6th for DEANDRE HOPKINS
Not sure what brand of angel dust PFF was smoking with those EDGE picks, but I'd advise steering clear of it.
Been thinking almost exclusively about EDGE at 31, but if I had DHop in the fold or knew the deal was done I'd have a really hard time passing on Kincaid if he's there. I've been on that dude for 6 months. Kincaid, Kelce, DHop, Toney, Moore, MVS, Gray, and Watson would be a terrifying group with a lot of depth and flexibility for if/when guys got dinged up. [Reply]
Jawaan Taylor was one of the best right tackles in the league last year. It makes more sense to leave him on the right. Does it really matter if we are paying him $20 mil AAV to play left or right? I think it is all a smoke screen and the Chiefs are trying to position themselves to trade up for their left tackle of the future. Skoronski, Johnson Jr or Jones. You have arguably the best LG and C in the game to help the rookie through his growing pains. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ForeverIowan:
Jawaan Taylor was one of the best right tackles in the league last year. It makes more sense to leave him on the right. Does it really matter if we are paying him $20 mil AAV to play left or right? I think it is all a smoke screen and the Chiefs are trying to position themselves to trade up for their left tackle of the future. Skoronski, Johnson Jr or Jones. You have arguably the best LG and C in the game to help the rookie through his growing pains.
Originally Posted by ForeverIowan:
Jawaan Taylor was one of the best right tackles in the league last year. It makes more sense to leave him on the right. Does it really matter if we are paying him $20 mil AAV to play left or right? I think it is all a smoke screen and the Chiefs are trying to position themselves to trade up for their left tackle of the future. Skoronski, Johnson Jr or Jones. You have arguably the best LG and C in the game to help the rookie through his growing pains.
Anything is possible. But then what Veach is saying is that Niang blows goats, after three years of waiting for him to be an RT. Not that I care about Niang's feelings, but what does it say about the FOs ability to judge talent? why keep a POS for that long if he was never going to be able to play? His sparkling personality? [Reply]
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
Anything is possible. But then what Veach is saying is that Niang blows goats, after three years of waiting for him to be an RT. Not that I care about Niang's feelings, but what does it say about the FOs ability to judge talent? why keep a POS for that long if he was never going to be able to play? His sparkling personality?
I dont think Veach and the front office give two flying Fs about admitting they made a mistake on a 3rd round pick. Everyone knew Niang had injury concerns and the pick was a risk. It is an imperfect business. Look no further than CEH. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
They don't HAVE to do anything. Thinking like this produces more busts than any other draft strategy.
I think all teams think like this more than you care to admit. The Chiefs purposefully took a DE and corner in the first rd bc of the value of the position and also bc, well…Okafor sucked, Clark was old and declined, Ingram was gone and the corner position was a disaster at that point minus Sneed (they lost Ward).
Tackle is absolutely a premier needed position that can’t be understated with a brokedick Niang.
The Chiefs don’t win the SB vs SF if Brown Jr and Wylie are their bookends. Those two would get embarrassed. We saw the Bucs SB and how important the OL is. We got lucky that the field was so terrible it basically neutralized both the Eagles and Chiefs pass rushes.
You’re gonna face an elite pass rush in the SB. It’s bound to happen [Reply]
Originally Posted by ForeverIowan:
I dont think Veach and the front office give two flying Fs about admitting they made a mistake on a 3rd round pick. Everyone knew Niang had injury concerns and the pick was a risk. It is an imperfect business. Look no further than CEH.
Okay. how about this?
If Taylor is going to be the RT, then who's on the left? Right now, if they're going to do what you're suggesting, we have Taylor@RT1, Niang@RT2, and Kinnard@RT3.
And then who at LT? Prince? Damned sure it's not Kinnard.
I mean, at least if Taylor is @LT1, RT is kind of set, with Niang/Prince. We could just draft an OT, and/or probably sign a Remmers type to backup LT. But there's actual experience at both Ts that way.
But if they go your way, we got a rook LT starting and basically nobody backing up.
I was never the greatest at Tetris, but this doesn't seem like how it's played. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ForeverIowan:
Jawaan Taylor was one of the best right tackles in the league last year. It makes more sense to leave him on the right. Does it really matter if we are paying him $20 mil AAV to play left or right? I think it is all a smoke screen and the Chiefs are trying to position themselves to trade up for their left tackle of the future. Skoronski, Johnson Jr or Jones. You have arguably the best LG and C in the game to help the rookie through his growing pains.
You've got it upside down or something, at least to the way I'm thinking.
It doesn't MATTER that we paid him that much, whether it's on the left or the right. It's that the financial details of the deal strongly suggest he's going to play LT. I think people are overestimating the Chiefs need for a LT because they view Taylor as a RT. I firmly believe the Chiefs don't think they have a need at LT anymore. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ForeverIowan:
I dont think Veach and the front office give two flying Fs about admitting they made a mistake on a 3rd round pick. Everyone knew Niang had injury concerns and the pick was a risk. It is an imperfect business. Look no further than CEH.
They don't. Just look at how they did with Speaks. They're not just going to keep a guy because they don't want to look bad. Teams don't think that way.
We already know that the Chiefs won't hesitate to jettison players if they don't fit. The fact that Niang remains on the team suggests the Chiefs see something in him. I'm just not sure what that would be given we've seen so little of him. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
Okay. how about this?
If Taylor is going to be the RT, then who's on the left? Right now, if they're going to do what you're suggesting, we have Taylor@RT1, Niang@RT2, and Kinnard@RT3.
And then who at LT? Prince? Damned sure it's not Kinnard.
I mean, at least if Taylor is @LT1, RT is kind of set, with Niang/Prince. We could just draft an OT, and/or probably sign a Remmers type to backup LT. But there's actual experience at both Ts that way.
But if they go your way, we got a rook LT starting and basically nobody backing up.
I was never the greatest at Tetris, but this doesn't seem like how it's played.
If your 1st round draft pick at left tackle gets injured?
Option 1: Taylor swings to left. Niang to Right.
Option 2: Thuney to LT. Allegretti to LG.
Option 3: Maybe they sign a cheap veteran swing tackle, maybe they draft one. Who knows. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RunKC:
I think all teams think like this more than you care to admit. The Chiefs purposefully took a DE and corner in the first rd bc of the value of the position and also bc, well…Okafor sucked, Clark was old and declined, Ingram was gone and the corner position was a disaster at that point minus Sneed (they lost Ward).
Tackle is absolutely a premier needed position that can’t be understated with a brokedick Niang.
The Chiefs don’t win the SB vs SF if Brown Jr and Wylie are their bookends. Those two would get embarrassed. We saw the Bucs SB and how important the OL is. We got lucky that the field was so terrible it basically neutralized both the Eagles and Chiefs pass rushes.
You’re gonna face an elite pass rush in the SB. It’s bound to happen
And what about any of this necessitates using a 1st round pick on a tackle?
I have said what I think they're going to do. I don't want them to spend a 1st on a tackle and I don't think they will. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
You've got it upside down or something, at least to the way I'm thinking.
It doesn't MATTER that we paid him that much, whether it's on the left or the right. It's that the financial details of the deal strongly suggest he's going to play LT. I think people are overestimating the Chiefs need for a LT because they view Taylor as a RT. I firmly believe the Chiefs don't think they have a need at LT anymore.
The Chiefs told us with his deal he's the LT, the only way he's not is if something falls in their lap. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
Okay. how about this?
If Taylor is going to be the RT, then who's on the left? Right now, if they're going to do what you're suggesting, we have Taylor@RT1, Niang@RT2, and Kinnard@RT3.
And then who at LT? Prince? Damned sure it's not Kinnard.
I mean, at least if Taylor is @LT1, RT is kind of set, with Niang/Prince. We could just draft an OT, and/or probably sign a Remmers type to backup LT. But there's actual experience at both Ts that way.
But if they go your way, we got a rook LT starting and basically nobody backing up.
I was never the greatest at Tetris, but this doesn't seem like how it's played.
Let me ask you this and play devils advocate. If Taylor is indeed our left tackle of the future and we draft a true right tackle in the draft (for shits and giggles lets say Darnell Wright or Dawand Jones) what happens if Taylor goes down with an injury? Not great...likely Niang or Thuney at LT? [Reply]