It doesn’t look like star NFL wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is really getting the types of offers he wants, does it? There were rumors that Hopkins might be able to sign with a contending team rather quickly after being released by the Arizona Cardinals, but part of the issue with being cut in May/June is the fact that teams aren’t exactly flush with salary cap space, nor are they desperate for help at this point.
Some maybe more than others, no doubt.
There are some obvious fits out there for DeAndre Hopkins, most of which have been discussed at length, but what teams out there might as well try to swoop in now that it seems like there’s not really a true list of contenders for his services?
3 teams that should swoop in on DeAndre Hopkins immediately
1. Philadelphia Eagles
Because, why not?
Howie Roseman has acquired just about everybody else at this point, hasn’t he? It feels like Howie Roseman simply cannot miss, and it feels like the Philadelphia Eagles are truly in on every single deal. Would it surprise anyone at all if Roseman was lurking behind the scenes, waiting for Hopkins to be released, only to pounce at the perfect time and add him to a roster that already includes stars like AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith?
It wouldn’t surprise me, that’s for sure.
The Eagles don’t necessarily need DeAndre Hopkins, but like I said in the opening — there just aren’t many teams that “need” guys like this right now. Hopkins is not the same guy we were talking about four years ago. It’s a completely different context now. He’s not a WR1. And in Philadelphia, he wouldn’t need to be.
The Eagles seem like the type of team that could really maximize the end of Hopkins’ career, both in terms of on-field production as well as getting him on a winning team.
2. Los Angeles Rams a possible fit for DeAndre Hopkins
Sean McVay could have retired this offseason, gotten a massive contract to go and do TV for some network, and spent time with his growing family. Instead, he came back to coaching the Rams.
The Rams have had a brutal offseason in terms of what we’re used to seeing this team do. They traded Jalen Ramsey to the Dolphins. They traded Allen Robinson to the Steelers. They did just about nothing in NFL free agency. They didn’t have a first-round draft pick.
Surely, the checkbook is open now that we’re in post-June 1 territory, right?
I think adding a player like DeAndre Hopkins would be just the type of move we’ve grown accustomed to from the Rams, but it would also be a super necessary move for them at this point. Things didn’t work out with Allen Robinson? Okay, that’s too bad. Just move on, and get back on the saddle.
You’ve got guys like me out here predicting Puka Nacua to be a top-five rookie receiver in terms of receiving yards this year because the Rams currently have Cooper Kupp (coming back from injury), Van Jefferson, and Ben Skowronek on top of the depth chart.
Again, DeAndre Hopkins is not the guy we knew four years ago or so, but he’s still a highly effective player and I would argue especially so in the right offense. The Sean McVay offense could be the right offense. Get with guys who know how to use offensive talent.
Not only is McVay back in the saddle, but Matthew Stafford is presumably healthy again. This Rams team won the Super Bowl during the 2021 season. They are legit when their top pieces are healthy. Hopkins could be a missing piece of their 2023 puzzle, and he’s already very familiar with the teams in the division.
3. Denver Broncos a possible fit for DeAndre Hopkins?
At this point, you kind of get the impression that the Denver Broncos have moved on from the idea of veteran receivers. They used their top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Oklahoma speedster Marvin Mims, but before that, they had made offers to veteran free agents Adam Thielen and Allen Lazard.
The team’s interest in Thielen and Lazard certainly raises some questions about whether or not they might potentially go after a guy like Hopkins now that he’s available, if they were simply in the market for the right veteran guy.
I think the Broncos landed a potential free agent steal in Marquez Callaway, who has worked with Sean Payton before, but this is a team that can’t really scoff at the chance to upgrade its offensive talent arsenal.
No NFL team was more pathetic offensively last year than the Denver Broncos were. No team finished more drives offensively with a turnover or punt than the Denver Broncos.
Broncos general manager George Paton vowed when he was hired that he would be “in on every deal” and if that is true, then the Broncos will have likely already called and asked what Hopkins is looking for in terms of price and role.
Up to this point, it looks like Hopkins isn’t getting the types of offers he wants, and he may not get a lucrative deal to come to Denver, but his fit in Sean Payton’s offense would at least be interesting. The Broncos are being cautious, holding receiver Tim Patrick out of OTAs after his ACL injury in 2022.
I would put the Broncos pretty low on the list of teams lurking on DeAndre Hopkins, but it would be fascinating to see Sean Payton make an aggressive move like this in June.