It’s a mixed bag of answers if you’re wondering what NFL front office executives think about free agent DeAndre Hopkins.
The All-Pro wideout is without a team after the Arizona Cardinals released him. The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs were teams that reportedly engaged in trade talks for Hopkins but neither pulled the trigger.
Separate reports have noted Hopkins wants to still be paid like a top receiver and he isn’t necessarily chasing a Super Bowl ring at a discount price… although, a ring would be nice for him.
Considering that, it could cost a team some dollars in the near future add Hopkins–But is the 31-year-old worth it?
You’d be hard pressed to find a general manager or other front office member in the NFL that would go on the record to give their thoughts. However, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer asked a few of those types for their thoughts… anonymously.
It’s the best we’ve got… and even in that, there’s a lot of grey area.
Per Breer, front offices are torn on Hopkins. Some think he’s still got it. Others don’t.
The full breakdown via SI can be found below:
That said, there’s a healthy divide on exactly what Hopkins has left. I asked one veteran team executive what’s still there, and he answered, via text, “Not much. He can’t run anymore.” Another answer was pretty different—“He’s still a good player. Good route runner, big, physical target that can play a ball in the air. He’s still a threat.” And a third played both sides of it.
“Still great hands, he is not going to separate, not much of a deep threat, but very strong, and makes contested catches as well as anyone in the NFL,” the AFC exec said. “Does not love to practice—I can’t imagine that’ll get any better. And when things don’t go well, you’re always gonna be leery, All right, what kind of drama are we gonna get from this guy? When things are great, he’s great. When things go south, his true colors show a little bit.
“But he always shows up on game day. He’s gonna have to go to a team that knows what they’re getting. You cannot expect a perfect-attendance type of worker.”
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