The Cardinals shocked the NFL world this morning by releasing star wide receiver Deandre Hopkins. After months of trying to trade him, it seems that the new Cardinals management believed it was time to move on. The Titans have a massive hole at WR, and it makes all the sense in the world for them to give him a shot. The real question is, why would Hopkins sign with the Titans? 

Earlier this offseason, Hopkins laid out the criteria he's looking for when it comes to his next location: 

“What I want is stable management upstairs. I think that’s something I haven’t really had the past couple years of my career coming from Houston and then to Arizona. I’ve been through three or four GMs in my career, so a stable management. A QB who loves the game, a QB who brings everybody on board with him and pushes not just himself but everybody around him . . . and a great defense. A great defense wins championships.”

While the Titans may not check all those boxes, they do have a few key selling points when it comes to winning Hopkins over. 

Targets 

There may not be a team in the NFL with a worse wide-receiving core than the Titans. The Titans' current depth chart lists Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Kyle Philips as their top three wide receivers. All three are very inexperienced, and none have caught more than 40 passes in a season. 

On top of that, the Titans' target leader last year was Robert Woods with 91, who has now moved on and signed with the Texans. They also lost Austin Hooper, who received another 60 targets. After doing very little to address the position all offseason, there will be more than enough targets to go around if Hopkins decides to join the team. He would instantly become the focal point of the revamped Titans passing game, an opportunity he may not have if he signed with a more complete roster. 

Defense 

As mentioned previously, Hopkins said, "A great defense wins championships" when discussing his next landing spot. The one thing the Titans can hang their hat on is their great defense. 

While they did struggle in the passing game last year, they have young corners on the roster that should improve. They also have one of the best safetys in the game, Kevin Byard. 

More importantly, they have studs all along the defensive line, starting with All-Pro Jeffery Simmons. When you combine him with Denico Autry and Harold Landry, the Titans should get to the QB all year. 

Mike Vrabel

Hopkins talks about having stable management upstairs, and while the Titans may have a fresh face as GM, the man running the show is as stable as it gets. Mike Vrabel has earned respect as one of the top coaches in the NFL over the past few seasons, and players have spoken out about their desire to play for him.

When you combine that with Hopkins' previous history with Vrabel, it seems like a match made in heaven. Vrabel was a coach in Houston from 2014-2018, all years that Hopkins spent with the Texans. If Hopkins has a good relationship with Vrabel from Houston, it could go a long way toward him singing with the Titans. 

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While it may be a long shot that the Titans end up signing Hopkins, there are real reasons why he may consider.