[jwplayer 46OQlvXa-ThvAeFxT]
Yooooo this is OD ! https://t.co/o0K7IV5sIV
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) March 16, 2020
The Arizona Cardinals just pulled off the biggest NFL heist in recent memory when they traded running back David Johnson to the Houston Texans for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Included in the trade is a 2020 second-round pick and 2021 fourth-round pick to the Texans, while the Cardinals will receive a 2020 fourth-round pick. The move — and the lopsided compensation — drew reactions from current Texans players and Hopkins’ former teammate Tyrann Mathieu, as well as his peers across the NFL.
With Hopkins unceremoniously shipped out of town, it might cause Saints fans to take a step back and think about Michael Thomas (the other first-team All-Pro wide receiver on the Associated Press roster), and the possibility of what a trade would have looked like last year if New Orleans moved on from him.
But here is the thing: the Saints would have never done Thomas the way Texans coach Bill O’Brien just betrayed Hopkins. The Saints value their players and consistently make an effort to pay them what they’re worth, even if off-field drama has caused playmakers like Jimmy Graham and Brandin Cooks to be moved.
The Houston Chronicle’s John McClain reported that Hopkins was traded because the Texans were unwilling to give him a pay raise in accordance with his standing among his peers; his $16.2 million annual salary is tied for sixth-best at the position, matched with Cooks and Adam Thielen. As such, they traded him for pennies on the dollar in exchange for an oft-injured running back and a few draft picks. On the flip-side, the Saints made it clear that they would do whatever they needed to do to lock up Thomas on what was the largest contract for a receiver in NFL history.
Finally, when news broke that Hopkins was on his way to Arizona, it seemed almost inevitable that the Cardinals were going to have to give up a first-round pick. After all, Houston is without a first-round pick in this year’s draft. Instead, they will continue about their season sans one of the best receivers in the game and without their best opportunity to replace him with a premium draft selection. Great work all around.
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