NFL rumors: Cardinals have ultra-reasonable asking price for DeAndre Hopkins trade

One of the league’s top wideouts in Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins could be moved for dimes on the dollar this offseason — who’s going to bite?

Arizona Cardinals wideout DeAndre Hopkins has been loitering on the trade block for weeks now, patiently waiting for the right team to come along and give Arizona an offer the team can’t refuse.

Such an offer wouldn’t take much at all. Per earlier reports from the NFL Combine, the Cardinals were looking for something in the “second-rounder” range for DHop.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer confirmed this in a wrap-up trade compensation article on Saturday saying that Arizona is asking for something similar to what the Houston Texans got for Hopkins back in 2019: a second-rounder plus “something else of value.”

Could that “something else” be a conditional pick? A mid-level starter? The Cardinals are clearly keeping an open mind to a potential Hopkins trade, understanding that moving Hopkins now is tougher than back then given the veteran’s age and injury history.

After Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon’s comments on Hopkins’ cloudy future, the door is wide open for a Hopkins exit in Arizona with the only question being which team will want to take a low-risk, high-reward gamble on him.

DeAndre Hopkins trade would only require a second-rounder and “something else”

The 31-year-old wideout may not be durable enough to serve as a team’s go-to top wideout for an entire season, yet as long as he gets a manageable workload, he can cut through opposing defenses as a razor-sharp deep threat and big play machine.

Breer adds that the idea of Hopkins joining the New York Jets to play with Aaron Rodgers could be “fun”; he also projects Hopkins to be a tough and gritty veteran option for the receiver-needy Baltimore Ravens.

Where does Hopkins himself want to play? Hopkins generated some controversy in recent weeks when he appeared on ex-Cowboy Dez Bryant’s live stream. Yet not too long ago the Cowboys dealt former wideout Amari Cooper for a couple of fifth-rounders, bringing into question their sense of value when it comes to wide receiver trades.

Other possible landing spots include the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots. At this point in his career, Hopkins makes out to be a bargain-bin version of the much pricier Odell Beckham Jr. and could very well turn contenders into champions in 2023.