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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So personally, I don't have a problem with paying him $19M/$14M (restructured, of course) for the next two seasons (I'm of course assuming he'd be healthy).
The draft capital is a little different. If KC wasn't in serious need of both a quality OT and EDGE this season, I wouldn't have much trouble giving up even a 2nd, because the 64th pick isn't that great anyway. But we are in that spot, so it's tougher to be okay with a 2nd. A 3rd (96th?), I've already said a couple times in this thread I'd do that. There's no one in this draft that's going to come close to replicating what DHop can do in 2023. Maybe we draft a guy that grows into a great WR by 2024 or 2025. But that's still a roll of the dice. There's a better than even chance that doesn't happen.
So I'd give up a second and pay him $26 million over 2.
You'd give up a 3rd and pay him $33 million.
Aren't we just arguing semantics at this point because to my eyes our value of him differs in the margins of it differs at all. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ThyKingdomCome15:
Don't need to.
If they make no moves then yea they do, this WR room is really bad at the moment...which is why they will do something because so far Veach has always tried to avoid being pigeon holed like that.
It's kinda funny to me how some of you don't realize the WR room as it sits today is not good. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
So you're thinking that the Chiefs should draft someone in the 3rd-4th range and he'll immediately contribute? Like Skyy Moore did?
If they want immediate impact, they'll take a guy in the first 2 rounds. They're not done signing vets yet, you can bet on that.
Apparently Skyy Moore is just going to magically become Golden Tate, Toney will never get hurt again and MVS will become consistent after well never being consistent in his entire career! [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
If they make no moves then yea they do, this WR room is really bad at the moment...which is why they will do something because so far Veach has always tried to avoid being pigeon holed like that.
It's kinda funny to me how some of you don't realize the WR room as it sits today is not good.
Even if you're the biggest Skyy Moore homer, they don't have freakin' bodies to fill the room right now :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
If they make no moves then yea they do, this WR room is really bad at the moment...which is why they will do something because so far Veach has always tried to avoid being pigeon holed like that.
It's kinda funny to me how some of you don't realize the WR room as it sits today is not good.
Mahomes lead the league in passing last year with the same guys, minus Juju.
And let's be honest, there were a lot of times we didn't even know Juju was on the field. Dude had his moments though. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Mecca:
Apparently Skyy Moore is just going to magically become Golden Tate, Toney will never get hurt again and MVS will become consistent after well never being consistent in his entire career!
Originally Posted by ThyKingdomCome15:
Mahomes lead the league in passing last year with the same guys, minus Juju.
And let's be honest, there were a lot of times we didn't even know Juju was on the field. Dude had his moments though.
Yeah, let's put it all on Mahomes. Then when retires due to injury at 32, we can all cry in hindsight about them not surrounding him with more weapons. [Reply]
