On top of all the head coach openings, one of the biggest pieces of news this week was that the Arizona Cardinals will look to trade star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins this offseason. With this, several fanbases are already taking to Twitter to push for their favorite squad’s front office to try and get something done for the AZ star.
Would Joe Schoen and the NY Giants have interest? Potentially, but from our chair, there are several reasons why the G-Men and Schoen should stay away here.
Plain and simple, there’s too many concerns surrounding Hopkins for us. Despite the Giants needing to completely give the wide receivers room a makeover, Hopkins wouldn’t be a good fit. Here’s three reasons in particular:
3. DeAndre Hopkins turns 31 this June
In his prime, Hopkins was an absolute beast and without question one of the best wideouts in the game. If it weren’t for Davante Adams, we’d have no problem saying Hopkins is arguably the best WR of his generation. With that said, the past two seasons haven’t even come close to going according to plan for Hopkins.
In 2021, injuries ruined his season, as he was only able to play in 10 games. He was limited to 42 receptions for 572 yards, both career-lows for him. This past season, things got worse for Hopkins, as he missed most of the year due to his PED suspension. Hopkins posted 64 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns – the lowest TD total for him in a season since his rookie year in 2012.
There’s no question that Hopkins is a big-name player and he’d bring even more people to MetLife Stadium. He’s the kind of superstar guy who would definitely generate a buzz for this team and offense. However, he’s been on the decline in recent seasons and the risk just feels like it’d be too much for Joe Schoen.
2.DeAndre Hopkins’ contract situation would be rough for the G-Men to take on
As things stand, Hopkins has two years left on his contract worth $34.36 million. Not only that, but Hopkins, per Spotrac, has a cap hit of more than $30 million for the 2023 campaign. That’s a mess right there and something that Schoen isn’t going to want to carry. NFL insider Jordan Schultz is also reporting that Hopkins could want a new deal too.
If that’s the case, then there’s just no way Big Blue would want to touch him. Again, Hopkins is turning 31 later this year and his production over the past two campaigns has dropped significantly. There’s also the PED suspension that we’ve got to remind everyone about.
Hopkins is surely going to want to be paid like one of the top wideouts in the game if he’s indeed in search of a new deal. There’s other teams out there who might want to pay serious coin for him, but this just doesn’t feel like it’d be the right fit for the Giants. If they want to invest that much in free agency, fixing the interior of the offensive line and bringing in linebackers would be wiser.
1. Giants could look to add plenty of WR help in the next NFL Draft
Instead of a wideout in his 30s on a mega-deal, what about some youth for the wide receivers room? A healthy Wan’Dale Robinson will be back in 2023, but the Giants have already been linked to several potential first-round picks for the next NFL Draft this spring. One guy in particular has caught our attention: Jordan Addison.
Several Mock Drafts have the USC playmaker heading to East Rutherford starting next campaign. A former Biletnikoff Trophy winner, Addison would be a welcome addition for the Giants offense. If Mike Kafka remains in town – he has interview requests from the Texans and Panthers – he could really make an impact on Addison in his first year in NY, if the Giants end up taking him.
The Giants have other needs they need to address, but Addison would be a big-time get for this offense and he’d have a bright future from the start with the Giants. With Hopkins, there’s his injury history to worry about and the fact that he’s probably only got 1-2 more good years of action left in him.
For the price tag, there are much better ways for the Giants to use their money. This isn’t saying Hopkins won’t be a stud in ’23, but for the future of this team as a whole, we think it’d be wise for Schoen and the Giants to focus investing elsewhere.
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