Patriots: Cardinals' asking price in trade for DeAndre Hopkins revealed
The Patriots need to upgrade their wide receiver position.
The New England Patriots better offensive playmakers and reportedly could add one of the NFL's best with a second- or third-round pick.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday morning that "the Cardinals want hefty compensation for WR DeAndre Hopkins (a premium Day 2 pick and more)," according to teams who have spoken to the Arizona Cardinals.
That seems like a fair asking price despite the fact that Hopkins is 30 years old and is coming off of a season in which he was suspended six games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy.
Hopkins has a big fan in Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who raved about the receiver prior to New England's 2022 matchup with Arizona.
"He's got tremendous ball skills, he catches everything, great hands," Belichick said prior to the game. "He's never covered — even if he's covered, there's a place the ball can be that he can get it, still make the catch. Great coordination on the sidelines, and he doesn't really look it but he's a strong kid. You see him break tackles, he's strong creating separation, yards after contact, extra yards around the goal line or the extra yard for a first down. He's a smart football player, very savvy. His ball skills are at the very elite level with guys I've seen in this league.
"He's up there with whoever the top guys are. Cris Carters of the world and guys like that. He's every bit as good as anybody I've ever coached against."
The two men spoke before that Patriots-Cardinals game, as well, and it was caught by HBO's "Hard Knocks" cameras.
If there's one complicating factor, it's that things didn't seem to end great between Hopkins and former Texans head coach Bill O'Brien in Houston, and now O'Brien is the Patriots' new offensive coordinator.
Hopkins, who’s coming off of a 65-catch, 717-yard season with three touchdowns in nine games, had his best seasons under O’Brien from 2014 to 2019 in Houston. O’Brien did trade Hopkins and a fourth-round pick from Houston to the Cardinals for running back David Johnson and second- and fourth-round picks.
There’s a connection to the Patriots in the Cardinals' front office. Arizona’s new general manager, Monti Ossenfort, was a long-time front-office exec in New England.
If the Patriots could swing a trade for Hopkins, then it would be less pressing to re-sign free-agent wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Hopkins is due $34.365M over the final two years of his contract. His base salary is $19.45M in 2023 and just $14.915M in 2024.
Hopkins won’t break the bank from a salary perspective. New England just needs to decide if they’re willing to cough up a Day 2 pick-plus.
Featured image via Michael Chow-USA TODAY Sports
