The NFL, like everything else in American life these days, is in lock-down. There are unprecedented times and they call for unprecedented measures.
That aside, we could see NFL teams make radical moves this March since free agency will be restricted with no visits or physicals taking place. Things will get done, but not in the regular way.
We could see a rash of trades as teams look to tidy up their finances. Some major stars could be made available. One of those could be five-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Hopkins could be the bargaining chip the Houston Texans use to solve many of their other needs. They traded away many of their top selections in the next two drafts and could be looking to replenish by dealing Hopkins for a package. Could the Giants be a possible destination?
“What could hurt (head coach Bill) O’Brien if he’s serious about moving Hopkins is he’ll play this year at 28, and he wasn’t as explosive last year as he’d been,” writes veteran NFL columnist Peter King. “And the fact that this is one of the best years in history for wideouts in the draft. How tempting Hopkins would be, though, to teams with cap money. The Patriots, at 23, would be a fascinating match (they might need a mid- or late-round pick back with Hopkins), or the Niners at 31, Giants at 36 or Dolphins at 39.”
Hopkins is one of the most reliable and explosive players in the league and would certainly give the Giants a monster vertical passing attack along with Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, Evan Engram and Darius Slayton.
The only way I see the Giants doing this is if they trade the No. 4 overall pick for more draft capital. Right now, they have No. 4, No. 36 and No. 99. Trading No. 36 gives them Hopkins but takes them out of the running for some the studs that will fall out of the first round.
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