The NFL world was hit with a bombshell after it was announced that star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was being released by the Arizona Cardinals.
This means the perennial All Pro can now be had without having to give up any sort of draft capital, and without having to inherit his hefty contract.
Given the state of the Titans’ current wide receivers room, Hopkins’ release had many fantasizing about the mere possibility of luring him to Tennessee, which would subsequently fill the team’s biggest need with a Hall of Fame-caliber talent.
Despite the perfect match on paper, an argument can certainly be made for both sides of the conversation.
You really can’t blame the Titans if they choose to be content with sticking with what they have this year and opt toward saving all of their money for next offseason.
And that’s especially true when you consider the fact that Tennessee is finally on the verge of completely hitting the reset button after years of being hamstrung against the cap.
Also, the Titans haven’t exactly had good luck when it comes to acquiring 30-year-old superstar pass-catchers, so Mike Vrabel opting against going that route wouldn’t exactly be the most shocking thing in the world.
Even with all of those reasons for caution, this should be a no-brainer if the Titans intend to do whatever it takes to adequately take advantage of Derrick Henry’s final year of his contract and 20s.
At his best, Hopkins would be a game-changing wide receiver for a team that desperately needs another alpha to pair with their talented young wideout, Treylon Burks.
With no trade cost and no outrageous contract to inherit, DeAndre Hopkins is much more attractive for the #Titans. Go. Be creative.
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) May 26, 2023
It’s safe to assume Tennessee isn’t at the top of his preferred destinations. He will certainly have options that give him a better chance to win, which might be most important for Hopkins at this stage of his career.
In order to get the star wide receiver in a Titans uniform, the team is likely going to have to outbid everyone else just to have a chance at landing him. As a result, this type of addition won’t be cheap when it’s all said and done.
But as they say: where there’s a will there’s a way.
Unfortunately, signing Hopkins may cost a chunk of future money in some way, shape, or form, as the Titans have just $10.6 million in cap space, and that’s before signing Peter Skoronski and Will Levis.
That’s where the move truly becomes polarizing. The Titans need to have an honest conversation with themselves that revolves around one question: does Hopkins put this team over the top?
Everyone has their own opinion when it comes to answering that question, but the truth of the matter is the only opinions that matter are Mike Vrabel’s and Ran Carthon’s. They’re the ones who truly have a pulse on how close this 2023 team is to legitimately competing.
Here are some of my favorite highlights of DeAndre Hopkins in his time with the #AZCardinals
There are so many memories! So many amazing plays! Forever a fan! Wishing you the very best DHop! Thank you for being a Cardinal for the last 3 years! All love from me! #10 #DHOP ❤️🔥 https://t.co/AtpLtnescn pic.twitter.com/zGI0F6jdVQ
— Andy Kwong 🏈 (@akwong31) May 27, 2023
The Titans genuinely need to believe in these five things before making a move of this magnitude:
- A Hopkins, Henry, and Burks trio can put this team over the top.
- The offensive line has improved enough to take that next step as an offense.
- Vrabel and Carthon believe that DHop still has enough in the tank to garner a hefty financial investment.
- Tennessee believes in Ryan Tannehill or Will Levis enough to make this type of all-in move.
- The team collectively trusts Tim Kelly and his new offense to maximize his talent to its fullest potential.
All of this doesn’t mean Vrabel and Carthon expect this team to be an elite offense the second it trots out there, but if the Titans think this offense with Hopkins in the fold can gel enough by playoff time to give Tennessee a realistic chance, then, by all means, swing for the fences.
Theoretically, Hopkins’ addition will give the Titans’ offense a much more balanced attack than they’ve had as of late.
His presence alone would allow Burks to take on No. 2 corners, which would prove to be a massive difference-maker for the second-year wideout, who is currently slated to face heavy coverage on a rather consistent basis.
If Burks starts balling out, D-Hop will now have the luxury of being able to take advantage of his matchups against mostly inferior defensive backs.
Adding to that, having a top receiver tandem that defenses are scared of will open things up for Henry, and throw in Chig Okonkwo and Kyle Philips over the middle and the team suddenly has something to work with now.
Not to mention the Titans’ defense should be good enough to hold opposing teams to a reasonable score on a weekly basis.
This is what #Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins is looking for on his next team:
* QB that loves the game and brings everyone on board with him
* Great defense – "Defense wins championships. Gotta have a great D-Line"
* Stable management – Because he says he's been through 4 GMs in… pic.twitter.com/PFoj2efyrN
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 26, 2023
If he signs, Hopkins’ transition to Tennessee figures to be smooth, as he has a history of success in Tim Kelly’s offense from their days together with the Texans.
The two of them together played a large role in leading the Texans to an AFC South championship by season’s end in 2019, Hopkins’ final season with the Texans. He ultimately finished the campaign with All-Pro honors after he caught 104 passes for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns.
Hopkins finished his sole season under Kelly with an overall grade of 87.3, per Pro Football Focus. He has not tallied over an 80 since.
It’s no secret that run-blocking is an important part of the receiver’s job in Tennessee. As far as Hopkins’ run-blocking goes, his grade drastically fell once he left Houston as well.
Under Kelly, Hopkins received his highest blocking grade (69.1) since the 2016 season. However, ever since he became a Cardinal, his run-blocking grade never topped 55.5, per PFF.
Fortunately, Kelly knows how to put his star receivers in an advantageous position so they can become an asset to the run game instead of a liability.
At the end of the day, this potential marriage will likely hinge on whether or not the Titans are willing to overpay to lure the star wide receiver to Tennessee.
Should they choose to do so, there’s no denying that he instantly raises the level of expectations and excitement as we slowly head toward the start of the new campaign.
