The Tennessee Titans have been way too quiet this offseason when it comes to adding much-needed wide receiver help in free agency, but the team could address the need in a major way via trade as options on the open market dwindle.
One option is Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who is on the trade block as former Titans director of player personnel and current Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort looks to make changes.
There is no denying that Hopkins has been one of the best receivers of his generation and a game-changing talent at the position. In fact, he’s a borderline Hall of Famer at worst.
Despite missing eight games last season (six for suspension, two for a “knee injury”) and not having Kyler Murray for another four, Hopkins showed he’s still playing at a high level with 717 yards and three scores.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t concerns. Hopkins is set to turn 31 next season and we all know this franchise’s history with elite but aging wide receivers.
A lot is made about Hopkins’ injury history, but that’s a bit overblown.
Sure, he has dealt with some nagging injuries over the years and concerns about injury only grow with age, but the Clemson product missed just two games over his first eight years in the league.
He did miss seven games in 2021 with a knee injury and the aforementioned eight in 2022, but six of the missed games last season were the result of a PED suspension, and the other two were likely Hopkins shutting it down early during a lost Cardinals season.
As far as what it would take to land him, MMQB’s Albert Breer reports the Cards are looking for a “second-rounder plus something else of value,” and Hopkins is due a good chunk in 2023 at $19.45 million.
However, we know the Titans can work cap magic if they need to in order to fit him in, although pushing money to future years is a risky proposition for an aging wide receiver.
There are some out there who believe the Cardinals will end up fetching a package more along the lines of what the Dallas Cowboys gave up for Brandin Cooks, which was a 2023 fifth-rounder and 2024 sixth-rounder.
After getting burned by the Julio Jones trade (and the acquisitions of other veteran wideouts over the years), I just don’t see the Titans making a move for Hopkins unless it comes incredibly cheap.
Giving up a second-rounder and then some doesn’t qualify as that. Hell, even just a second-rounder feels like too much. Now, if we’re talking about a package similar to the Cooks one, that’s much more doable.
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