Report: Cardinals may want ‘Christian McCaffrey package’ for DeAndre Hopkins
Mar 25, 2023, 11:30 AM
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins #10 of the Arizona Cardinals lines up during the NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium on December 13, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. The Rams defeated the Cardinals 30-23. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Arizona Cardinals are standing firm on asking for a second round pick for wideout DeAndre Hopkins, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Friday.
“Talking to other teams around the league, they do expect a Hopkins deal to shake out in the near future but Arizona would have to come off their asking price,” Fowler said.
“I’ve talked to teams that said Arizona wants a second round pick and more. Almost like the Christian McCaffrey package we saw last year — second or third round pick, something big. Teams are not willing to do that yet.”
Hopkins has been linked to the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders.
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The star wideout posted 64 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns in only nine games last season because of a PED suspension and knee injury. He is still owed $34.4 million over the next two years and carries a cap hit of $30.7 million next season.
Despite the Cardinals asking price, SI.com’s Albert Breer believes it will be closer to what the Houston Texans received — a 2023 fifth-rounder and 2024 sixth-rounder — in their dealing of wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason.
If the Cardinals move Hopkins before June 2, it would free $8.1 million in cap space but also force the team to take a dead-money hit of $22.6 million.
