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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Originally Posted by Detoxing:
IDK about that.....did you see the 40 times this past weekend? It's not a draft loaded with speed merchants.
No, actually. I planned on it, but somehow Life got in the way and I missed the whole thing. This has been kind of a weird couple of weeks.
That's interesting though, because there's some Arrowhead Addict/Pride article out there that says there are several speed merchants the Chiefs might have a shot at in this year's draft.
Regardless, Hardman's not irreplaceable. Though personally I'd still like to keep him, but I get that he's not the hardest guy to replace. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
Because he's terrible at it and i highly disagree that that's why he was drafted. Their skillsets are nothing alike, and we've already seen that Skyy isn't very effective at Jet Sweeps while Hardman might be the best ive ever seen at it.
Yeah, Skyy is never going to be the go-to guy for jet-sweeps. If Hardman leaves, Toney will be that guy. Doesn't mean other guys won't do one here and there, but of the remaining WRs that definitely will be back for the 2023-2024 season, Toney's by far the best at JSs. Skyy's just not great at them. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
Yeah, Skyy is never going to be the go-to guy for jet-sweeps. If Hardman leaves, Toney will be that guy. Doesn't mean other guys won't do one here and there, but of the remaining WRs that definitely will be back for the 2023-2024 season, Toney's by far the best at JSs. Skyy's just not great at them.
Hardman wasn't exactly "great" at them right away. It took him some time to really perfect it. It's still too early to make broad proclamations about Moore. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Hardman wasn't exactly "great" at them right away. It took him some time to really perfect it. It's still too early to make broad proclamations about Moore.
It's not really about him learning how to do it, imo. I don't think he has the burst for it. I'm puzzled about that, but when you watch him on tape, he just doesn't accelerate the way you expect from a 4.4 guy. Now maybe he had a minor unreported injury issue, idk. But you watch him even in those screens or that punt return vs. CIN, and there's not much of a mid-range acceleration. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
It's not really about him learning how to do it, imo. I don't think he has the burst for it. I'm puzzled about that, but when you watch him on tape, he just doesn't accelerate the way you expect from a 4.4 guy. Now maybe he had a minor unreported injury issue, idk. But you watch him even in those screens or that punt return vs. CIN, and there's not much of a mid-range acceleration.
Moore seems too limited to become a big contributor on a contending team's offense, to me. He seems like a slot guy who doesn't have the size to work on the outside or be much of a blocker, who hasn't really demonstrated the ability to consistently generate separation, and has ball security issues. He certainly has quickness off the line and can be a role player, but the limitations are significant. I don't think he compares favorably to Hardman. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
It's not really about him learning how to do it, imo. I don't think he has the burst for it. I'm puzzled about that, but when you watch him on tape, he just doesn't accelerate the way you expect from a 4.4 guy. Now maybe he had a minor unreported injury issue, idk. But you watch him even in those screens or that punt return vs. CIN, and there's not much of a mid-range acceleration.
Hardman never seemed completely healthy this year, but his giving up his body for that first down against the Bengals will live on for a while in Chiefs memory, or it should. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Razaele:
Moore seems too limited to become a big contributor on a contending team's offense, to me. He seems like a slot guy who doesn't have the size to work on the outside or be much of a blocker, who hasn't really demonstrated the ability to consistently generate separation, and has ball security issues. He certainly has quickness off the line and can be a role player, but the limitations are significant. I don't think he compares favorably to Hardman.
Lol, Skyy was the best run-blocking WR on the team. And where does the ball security issues thing come from? Don't say punt return fumbles, please. that's a dead issue after the CIN game.
Like I said, he doesn't seem to have the burst needed to get to the corner/create separation, but as a route-runner he's already better than Hardman was maybe ever, has very good hands. He should be pretty good from the slot.
But yeah, he's not Hardman, he's not going to be a Hardman replacement. For gadget-type plays, Toney is the replacement. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
Don't say punt return fumbles, please. that's a dead issue after the CIN game.
While I'd agree that his punt return fumbles are quite a bit different than ball security issues as a WR, his special teams mistakes are absolutely not a dead issue just because he had two returns against the Bengals that were solid.
Those only become a dead issue when he's done it consistently for a period of time without those mistakes, and I doubt he's getting that opportunity unless Toney gets hurt. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TwistedChief:
While I'd agree that his punt return fumbles are quite a bit different than ball security issues as a WR, his special teams mistakes are absolutely not a dead issue just because he had two returns against the Bengals that were solid.
Those only become a dead issue when he's done it consistently for a period of time without those mistakes, and I doubt he's getting that opportunity unless Toney gets hurt.
Chiefs are gonna have to find a real punt returner. Toney is obviously a legit returner, but if he ends being a a focal point of the offense someone else is gonna need to step up to the plate.
Toney needs to be kinda treated like McKinnon. Small doses but high impact. Gotta get a full season out of him. Don't want him taking any unnecessary hits returning punts. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TwistedChief:
While I'd agree that his punt return fumbles are quite a bit different than ball security issues as a WR, his special teams mistakes are absolutely not a dead issue just because he had two returns against the Bengals that were solid.
Those only become a dead issue when he's done it consistently for a period of time without those mistakes, and I doubt he's getting that opportunity unless Toney gets hurt.
He's not going to be a primary PR guy. Oh, he'll be back there on occasion, especially early in the season to keep his foot in it, but he won't be the PR guy.
Which was his only weakness as far as ball security goes.
On the field as a WR, he never had any ball security issues. He has very good-great hands, and I don't think he ever fumbled a catchable pass. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
Chiefs are gonna have to find a real punt returner. Toney is obviously a legit returner, but if he ends being a a focal point of the offense someone else is gonna need to step up to the plate.
Toney needs to be kinda treated like McKinnon. Small doses but high impact. Gotta get a full season out of him. Don't want him taking any unnecessary hits returning punts.
I desperately want a real kick returner too. I absolutely hate Pachecho in that role for any number of reasons. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
He had a couple catchables that he failed to bring in. But no biggie, i wouldn't hold it against him. I agree, i think he has good hands.
It's part of the reason i believe his road to snaps is through JJSS's role.
Eventually, yeah that's about how I see it. He's going to take up JJSS's role from last season. He has the skillset and the hands for that stuff. Lacks the burst to get much deeper than JJSS was.
Really puzzled as to how a 4.4 guy doesn't have more burst than what he's shown so far . . . [Reply]