The Arizona Cardinals may have to lower their asking price if they are to trade wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, alerting the New England Patriots and other teams around the NFL.
The Patriots have been heavily linked with a trade for Hopkins as they look to bolster their options at wide receiver, although a move for Juju Smith-Schuster has raised questions over whether they've already moved on. According to The Athletic, the Patriots held early conversations with the Cardinals about Hopkins, but the two teams remained far apart when it came to negotiations.
The Cardinals will not want to let Hopkins go cheaply, and according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler they're seeking a 'Christian McAffrey type deal' for their star. But they may have to lower their asking price, which could reignite interest in Hopkins.
The Patriots were the leading contenders to land Hopkins earlier in the offseason, but have since drifted out of the conversation after signing Smith-Schuster. The Kansas City Chiefs are looking for more options after letting him go, and the Buffalo Bills are also said to be on the hunt for a receiver.
The Baltimore Ravens have also been linked, but the Cardinals will have to lower their asking price if Hopkins is to seal a switch to a new team. "[The Baltimore Ravens] have at least looked around at the luxury shopping, high-end wide receiver market, whether it's Hopkins or like Denver's Courtland Sutton," Fowler said on ESPN.
"Uncertain whether they would pull the trigger on that sort of price point right now because it's very high. But Hopkins, the issue is the compensation.
"Talking to other teams, they say that Arizona has wanted a second-round pick and more, maybe even as high as like a Christian McCaffrey package. We're talking second-, third-, fourth-round picks.
"They will probably have to come off that to deal Hopkins, who has got $19million in salary due to him. So, you still have teams like the Bills and the Chiefs and big-ticket teams that are at least looking, window shopping at potential options at receiver."
It's clear that the Cardinals are willing to seek a trade, as due to Hopkins' salary hit and the unlikelihood they'll be a contending team in 2023, it's seen as the smart decision. Kyler Murray is also fighting back from an injury sustained last season, which ended the quarterback's campaign prematurely.
