After a failed attempt to finalize a deal with hot free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the New York Jets have turned their attention to the Arizona Cardinals star WR DeAndre Hopkins.
The Jets couldn’t acquire OBJ as he joined the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year deal with a maximum value of $18 million.
In contrast, Hopkins is still under contract for two more seasons with the Cardinals, albeit the circulating trade rumors can be a last-ditch effort for the team to recoup some value for the wide receiver as the team might exclude him from their roster to save cash.
Can the Jets be the next destination of the Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins?
According to the NFL insider Albert Beer of Sports Illustrated, the Jets have potential interest in the Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins and could be “making a run” at acquiring him and added how they would do everything possible to build a strong supporting cast around four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers like the Bucs went all in around the NFL GOAT Tom Brady.
“I think the Jets are going to do everything they can to go all in around Aaron Rodgers the way, say, the Buccaneers went all in around Tom Brady over the past three years, but they’ll try and do it with some intelligent restraint, as Tampa did”, he stated.
Albert cited the Jets had been actively pursuing Beckham Jr. to bolster their offense, however, they were unable to finalize a deal as they didn’t want to offer the high price tag of $15 million for a single year, leading them to lose the veteran star to the Ravens.
“The Odell Beckham Jr. case is a good one with which to illustrate that. The Jets were absolutely in on OBJ. They just weren’t in on him at $15 million for a single year
However, Hopkins also possesses the expensive tag of $15.09 million this year and $19.45 million next year which might be a major roadblock to the potential trade.
The NFL insider further cited the addition of the 30-year-old WR might come with a heavy tag, yet, Hopkins can draw coverage open for the other players in the Jets squad.
“At some point, if you get to a suitable price point, and if you’re pursuing a guy who can draw coverage open for Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Corey Davis, Breece Hall, and the rest of them, then it’s worth taking the swing. So if the Jets can get Hopkins to work with them on the money, I could certainly see this happening,” Breer stated.
Hopkins has performed at an elite level in the Cardinals, though his team couldn’t show promising performance in the league and he too struggled with injuries – missing 15 games in the last two seasons.
Fans and analysts alike will be eagerly awaiting updates on any potential deal as the Jets aim to make a splash and improve their chances of success in the upcoming season. The team’s pursuit of Hopkins could be a game-changer for their offense and a significant move in their quest to build a competitive team for the upcoming season.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
