One of the Patriots’ biggest needs this offseason is to get a premier boundary wide receiver to give the offense a much needed explosive play maker. Luckily for them, a player fitting that description is expected to be available.

According to The Score’s Jordan Schultz, the Arizona Cardinals, who recently parted ways with both their GM and head coach, “plan to try and trade” wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins this offseason. Hopkins will be 31 at the start of next season.

Is this the opportunity the Patriots need? Could they pull off such a deal? As the offseason gets underway, the answer to both questions seems to be ‘yes.’

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• After missing the first half of last season due to a suspension, Hopkins reminded everybody why he is one of the top wideouts in the league. In nine games he caught 64 passes for 717 yards and three touchdowns.

  Ability isn’t why Hopkins projects to be available. Instead, it’s due to a combination of the state of the Cardinals’ franchise and his contract situation.

  Monday features a major shakeup out in Arizona. General manager Steve Keim stepped down from his position, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury was fired after going 28-38-1 over four seasons. Their departures came just 10 months after both were signed to significant contract extensions that the franchise will still have to pay.

  Things aren’t much clearer on the field level either. The Cardinals finished 4-13, and quarterback Kyler Murray suffered a significant knee injury late in the year that could cost him part of the 2023 season. Murray is another piece the Cardinals recently invested heavily in, signing him to a five-year, $230.5 million extension in April that included $160 million guaranteed.

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  MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – OCTOBER 30: Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals and head coach Kliff Kingsbury talk during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 30, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

• Given all of that uncertainty moving forwards, plus the 30 pending free agents the team has including star wide receiver Hollywood Brown and pass rusher Zach Allen, it would be hard for the Cardinals to justify keeping a 31-year-old receiver who is not a part of their long-term plans, no matter how good he is right now.

  Complicating things further is Hopkins’ contract. After being traded from the Texans to the Cardinals in 2020, Hopkins signed a two-year, $54.5 million extension that kicks in this year. With it, his cap hit goes from $15.7 million in 2022 to a whopping $30.75 million in 2023 – taking up 13.5 percent of the Cardinals salary cap – and $26.2 million in the final year of the deal in 2024.

  Now, there is an out in the contract this spring that would allow Arizona to save about $20 million against the cap over the next two years. That’s where the decision to trade him likely comes from. If he’s dealt, his cap number for his new team would be a much more manageable $19.45 million. Plus, because of the out in the contract his new team could end up re-working the deal and lowering that number further. According to Schultz, Hopkins “is likely to seek a new deal” if and when traded.

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  Nov 27, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half at State Farm Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

• Will the Patriots be the ones to make the move? They certainly have the cap space to do so. As for the motivation? Earlier this week during his end-of-season press conference, Bill Belichick spoke about the Patriots to “be more productive than we were this year” on offense. Adding a high-volume All-Pro receiver like Hopkins would certainly fit that bill.

  Hopkins in particular also seems to be a player Belichick holds in high regard. Prior to the Patriots and Cardinals squaring off on Monday Night Football in December, Belichick raved about the five-time All-Pro.

  “He’s got tremendous ball skills. He catches everything, has great hands, and he’s long so he’s never covered. Even if he’s covered, there’s a place where the ball can be that he can get it and still make the catch,” Belichick said at the time. “He’s every bit as good as anybody I’ve ever coached against.”

  That show of affection continued directly during the game. NFL Films had Hopkins mic’d up, and caught Belichick speaking with him pregame. “I’m glad we only have to play you every four years, man,” Belichick told Hopkins, who replies “I love you, man.” Belichick replied “you too.”

• "I'm glad we only have to play you every four years."
  
  The respect Bill Belichick has for @DeAndreHopkins 🙌#HardKnocks @AZCardinals -- tonight 10pm ET on @HBOMax pic.twitter.com/ocdqJYsmXb

  — NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2022

• So there’s reason to think there would be mutual interest on both sides. What would it take for the Patriots to get the deal done? Less than you may think.

  Hopkins’ trade value was initially set prior to the 2020 season. At that time, with a new contract up in the air, Hopkins was dealt along with a fourth-round pick in exchange for a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and 29-year-old running back David Johnson, whose play had declined well beyond his previous All-Pro level at that point.

  Granted, that deal is considered one of the most lopsided in the modern history of the NFL, and may have been part of the reason Bill O’Brien (more on him in a second) was fired as the head coach and GM of the Houston Texans. At the same time, in the three years since Hopkins has played just one full season, faced a PED suspension, and crossed the age-30 threshold. So, all of that may net out and result in Hopkins’ current return being similar to the one from 2020. Even if it ups to, say, two second-round picks, that’s still well within the Patriots’ means.

  Finally though, there is that O’Brien angle. The two reportedly didn’t get along during their time together in Houston, with Hopkins eventually requesting a trade. Hopkins has refuted those reports but not to a strong degree, telling ESPN in April of 2020 that “there was no relationship” between him and O’Brien during their six years together in Houston.

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  HOUSTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 01: DeAndre Hopkins #10 of the Houston Texans reacts against the New England Patriots during the first quarter in the game at NRG Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

• O’Brien, who has been the offensive coordinator at Alabama the last two years and whose contract with the school expires later his month, has had his name been mentioned heavily as a lead candidate to replace 2022 play-caller Matt Patricia in New England. His potential hire creates some complex questions as the Patriots finally have a chance to add a premier receiving threat for the first time in five years.

  Could Hopkins and O’Brien co-exist on the same team? Would they be able to bury the hatchet, or would hiring O’Brien be reason enough for Hopkins to enact his no-trade clause if a deal with New England came together? Or were the reports overblown in the first place, and the two can work together? On top of all of that is a bigger question – would the Patriots rather have Hopkins, or O’Brien?

  There are all questions the Patriots will need to deeply consider if they’re serious about improving their offense in 2023. But the opportunity to add a piece they’ve been missing back to the Tom Brady era appears to be there for the taking, if they want it.

• DeAndre Hopkins’ career stats

  Year	Age	Tm	G	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD	Awards
  2013	21	HOU	16	91	52	802	15.4	2
  2014	22	HOU	16	127	76	1210	15.9	6
  2015*	23	HOU	16	192	111	1521	13.7	11	AP2, PB
  2016	24	HOU	16	151	78	954	12.2	4
  2017*+	25	HOU	15	174	96	1378	14.4	13	AP OPoY-4, AP1, PB
  2018*+	26	HOU	16	163	115	1572	13.7	11	AP OPoY-3, AP1, PB
  2019*+	27	HOU	15	150	104	1165	11.2	7	AP1, PB
  2020*	28	ARI	16	160	115	1407	12.2	6	AP2, PB
  2021	29	ARI	10	64	42	572	13.6	8
  2022	30	ARI	9	96	64	717	11.2	3
  Total			145	1368	853	11298	13.2	71
  7 yr		HOU	110	1048	632	8602	13.6	54
  3 yr		ARI	35	320	221	2696	12.2	17

  * Selected to Pro Bowl, + First-Team AP All-Pro
  Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
  Generated 1/10/2023.

• Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.

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