PFF 'best fit' for DeAndre Hopkins is close to home |
Pro Football Focus' best fit for a
DeAndre Hopkins
trade is close to home.
The former Clemson standout and Central native is looking for an offseason trade from Arizona after one successful campaign initially and the last two marked by injury and suspension. The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that "talks are ramping up among the interested teams" for such a trade. PFF says the Carolina Panthers are the best fit for Hopkins. "Hopkins has been the biggest name on the trading block all offseason, and in a year where elite receivers are hard to come by, he is still an option that must be tempting for several teams, even with his contract," said PFF's Sam Monson. "That contract, long seen as an outlier by the rest of the NFL, is significantly more palatable now than it was when he first received it, which could tempt some teams into parting with a draft pick to secure a No. 1 option. Hopkins has gained over 2.0 yards per route run for his entire career despite having a rough quarterback situation for much of that time. He caught over 50% of contested catches last season and at 30 years old, he still likely has multiple seasons at the top before decline sets in." Other possible landing spots listed include the New York Giants and New England Patriots. ESPN's Bill Barnwell also posited a trade to the Panthers ($). "For the Panthers, this would lock in a No. 1 receiver for the first two years of their new quarterback's career. They would sport a much older receiving corps than we see for most rookie quarterbacks -- they would be starting Hopkins and Adam Thielen in Week 1 -- but there's nothing wrong with locking in experienced receivers before working in cheaper options as the quarterback (hopefully) gets closer to earning an extension," said Barnwell. Hopkins is a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection with 853 career catches for 12,298 yards and 71 scores. His last 1,000-yard campaign came in 2020 (115 catches for 1,407 yards and six scores). He finished the 2021 season on the injured reserve due to injury and was suspended for the first six games of the 2022 season for a violation of the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. Hopkins said the failed test was for a "trace" of Ostarine and he did not knowingly take any banned substance. At Clemson, Hopkins had 206 receptions for 3,020 yards and 27 touchdowns, 12 punt returns for 82 yards, and two kickoff returns for 32 yards in 2,059 snaps over 39 games (32 starts) in his career. He was a second-team All-American in 2012 and set an ACC record for 18 touchdown receptions that season. His 27 Clemson touchdown receptions total are tied for the most in school history. As the status of #AZCardinals star WR DeAndre Hopkins comes into focus, talks are ramping up among the interested teams, sources say. Similar to Brandin Cooks, a trade would likely mean an altered contract.
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