Could the New Orleans Saints enter the sweepstakes for DeAndre Hopkins? The wide receiver reached five Pro Bowls and won three All-Pro nominations with the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans, but the Cardinals signaled their intent to tank the 2023 season by cutting him days before an important NFL deadline on June 1.
So how do the Saints fit in? ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler suggested that exact match while breaking down several of the best fits for Hopkins now that he’s a free agent. Fowler says the Saints have enough room in the receiving corps for Hopkins and enough unspent salary cap resources to make their case, if they choose:
Chris Olave is the primary receiver, but the Saints could use a running mate in light of Michael Thomas’ durability concerns. The Saints don’t really do the tear-down rebuild thing, and with a weak NFC South, New Orleans could see an opportunity to pounce. The Saints have a healthy cap outlook at $13.6 million (not that the opposite would have stopped them), and Derek Carr is good enough to potentially entice Hopkins, who can continue playing in a dome and a warm-weather climate.
Hey, that’s a compelling argument. But the Saints’ level of interest remains uncertain. The only teams reportedly in on Hopkins when the Cardinals were seeking to trade him were the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, both of whom were ranked higher by Fowler as probable landing-spots now that Hopkins has his choice of destination. If the Saints are willing to outspend them, you’d think they would have entered trade talks.
Creative salary cap accounting could fit Hopkins on their books while still paying him the hefty contract he’s seeking; for example, Derek Carr’s deal only counts $7.2 million against the cap in 2023 despite carrying a total value of $150 million over four years, including a whopping $100 million guaranteed. New Orleans could do something similar for Hopkins, if there’s mutual interest.
But if the Saints are looking for a new addition at wide receiver, it’s likelier through a trade with another team once it becomes more financially viable after June 1. There’s a lot of smoke linking them to Las Vegas Raiders slot specialist Hunter Renfrow and he brings instant chemistry with Carr. Hopkins would represent a bigger swing at the plate, but someone like Renfrow might better match what the Saints are willing to invest in the position.
