According to the latest update from NFL insider Mike Giardi, it may be a while before we see free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins sign with his next team.

Giardi reported on Monday that "there is no rush" for Hopkins to sign after following up with Hopkins’ camp after his visits with Tennessee and New England. While Hopkins liked both visits, Giardi's source believes "there could be more out there in the coming weeks/start of training camp," and cited the possibility of there being a team unhappy with their WR room or making a move following an injury.

Is there a team out there that makes more sense for Hopkins than Tennessee or New England? Who is the mystery team that Titans fans should worry about?

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Despite how frequently they are mentioned in Hopkins rumors, I don's see the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs as the most threatening team for Hopkins right now. While it would certainly make sense for Hopkins to play with an elite quarterback like Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen and instantly join a Super Bowl contending roster, I'm not sure the financial situation or roster construction with either of those teams is ideal.

Both Kansas City and Buffalo are among the bottom five teams in current available cap space. The Chiefs are dead last with just $409,942. The Bills have a little bit more money than that ($5,497,111), but moving heaven and earth to squeeze Hopkins into their payroll might not be a huge priority for a team that already has Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis in the wide receiver room and just used a first round pick on pass-catching tight end Dalton Kincaid. 

The perfect organization for Hopkins, and in my opinion the biggest dark horse to sign him, is the team with a quarterback Hopkins knows, a need for a number one wide out, a solid defense and running game, and more available cap space than any of his current suitors…Watch out for the Cleveland Browns.

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The Cleveland Browns

With Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Elijah Moore, and Cedric Tillman, the wide receiver situation in Cleveland isn’t as dire as it is in Tennessee or New England. That said, Hopkins would still probably be the number one option for the Browns, and pairing him up with Amari Cooper would create one of the more dangerous duos in the NFL.

After doling out a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract to quarterback Deshaun Watson last offseason, Cleveland's front office is desperate to make things click with him under center. The Browns were 3-3 in Watson's starts last season and the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback averaged a career-low 183.7 passing yards per game with seven passing touchdowns and five interceptions.

Reuniting Watson with Hopkins would change things entirely. Let's not forget that Hopkins and Watson played together in Houston for three seasons from 2017-2019. Over those three years together, the Texans went 24-13 with Watson starting and Hopkins was named a first-team All-Pro in all three seasons. That's an accomplishment he has never reached without Watson as his quarterback. Both Hopkins and Watson are also former Clemson Tigers.

According to OverTheCap.com, the Browns are currently sitting with $16,889,088 in available cap space, the 10th most in the NFL. That's more than the Titans, Patriots, Chiefs, and Bills. 

Perception in the AFC North is that the Cincinnati Bengals will once again run away with the division. But the Browns have added Dalvin Tomlinson, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Za'Darius Smith, and Juan Thornhill to an already solid defensive core. Considering Nick Chubb is one of the best running backs in the game and understanding Watson's potential, adding Hopkins could propel Cleveland to legitimate AFC contention.

The fit makes too much sense for the Browns to not get involved.

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