Too Much Money or Declining Skill? Why Didn't Bills Trade for DeAndre Hopkins?

A new report from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer has given fans an inside look into the trade negotiations for DeAndre Hopkins and why the Buffalo Bills never agreed to a deal.

The Buffalo Bills were never able to close on a trade deal with the Arizona Cardinals that would've brought DeAndre Hopkins to Orchard Park, which in part eventually led to the release of the five-time All-Pro. ... So if the Bills couldn't get a deal done, then do they have a better chance now with the "middle man" out of the way?

You can hope so, yet the latest report from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer paints a less optimistic picture of the events that led to where things stand today. The latest article from Breer simply states that the $19.45 million in salary owed to Hopkins, along with the Cardinals' asking price of a Day 2 pick, was an issue. 

Okay, well, that Day 2 pick is no longer on the table after the Cardinals released him; that has to be good news, right? ... Not exactly. 

"Kansas City made progress toward a deal, but things went a little sideways when Odell Beckham Jr. got $15 million in base pay from Baltimore, making Hopkins feel like he should land at least that much, given that Beckham didn’t play last year ..." Breer writes. "The Bills, similarly, were willing to do a pay-for-play sort of deal loaded with incentives."

As Breer later notes, this leaves the Bills in a precarious position, do they wait and see if someone else will pay Hopkins what he is asking for and hope that his price comes down? Or do they become the team that drops the "bag" on the NFL's hottest free agent?

It has been noted by other analysts and insiders that the deal the Baltimore Ravens gave to Beckham Jr. was an overpay on their end due to a sense of desperation to surround their quarterback Lamar Jackson with playmakers. While Hopkins isn't coming off a major injury like Beckham is, there is a concern about his ability. 

Breer revealed that when speaking to one executive, they told him that they believed the ex-Cardinals' physical abilities are in decline. “Not much. He can’t run anymore,” an anonymous person told Breer about what Hopkins has left in the tank. 

This evaluation is somewhat supported by Hopkins' recent past, as injuries hindered him in 2021, as he played just 10 games, which was followed by just nine this past season due to a six-game suspension to start the season. 

Like many other teams around the league, the Bills will be watching Hopkins closely as they look to add another weapon on offense. But "paying the full price''? Buffalo has already demonstrated a level of reluctance there.

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