DeAndre Hopkins Trade Idea: Should Bills Say Yes?

Would this be a fair trade for the Buffalo Bills to acquire another star receiver?

Three seasons after they were on the wrong end of DeAndre Hopkins' game-winning Hail Mary catch from Kyler Murray, could the Buffalo Bills acquire the three-time All-Pro? 

Hopkins indicated earlier this month that he would be interested in being traded to the Bills, and Bleacher Report put together a proposal that would see the five-time Pro Bowler come to Orchard Park.

Here’s the trade proposal:

Bills receive: 

- WR DeAndre Hopkins

Cardinals receive:

- DT Ed Oliver

- Bills 2023 third-round pick (No. 91)

In the proposed trade, the Bills would send defensive tackle Ed Oliver and their 2023 third-round pick (the 91st overall selection) to the Cardinals in return for Hopkins.

The No. 9 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Oliver has 151 combined tackles, 14.5 sacks and 30 tackles for a loss in four seasons. He's set to carry a $10.753 million cap hit in 2023, as he plays on the fifth-year option. As Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News wrote in February, "Oliver hasn't been a bust, but he hasn't been a home run, either." That makes him an interesting change-of-scenery candidate. 

With that said, the market for Hopkins appears to be relatively limited. And him returning to Arizona doesn't seem to be a realistic possibility. From here, it's fair to wonder if it would take Oliver and a pick as high as the third round to acquire Hopkins, who will have a $15.733 cap hit in 2023. 

That's not to say Hopkins wouldn't have a tremendous impact in Buffalo -- he's a Hall of Fame-caliber wide receiver that would give the Bills an incredible duo with Stefon Diggs. But he's also a relatively expensive player that's now 30 years old and served a PED suspension last season. There's a very real possibility that the return that the Cardinals get for Hopkins -- whether it's from the Bills or someone else -- will feel underwhelming. 

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