One Team Drops Out of Race for DeAndre Hopkins

Former Arizona Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins will have one less team fighting for his signature on a new contract.
One Team Drops Out of Race for DeAndre Hopkins
One Team Drops Out of Race for DeAndre Hopkins /
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Former Arizona Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins hit free agency hoping to have a wealth of options and suitors. 

It made sense, as the All-Pro receiver proved to still be plenty impactful on the field last year, even in a Cardinals offense that couldn't quite get going at any point in the season. 

Arizona had trouble offloading Hopkins on the trade market thanks to his $19.45 million salary he was set to make before ultimately being released. For as good as Hopkins has been, he just turned 31-years-old and has struggled to remain on the field the last two seasons. 

Hopkins has taken visits with the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots, though one rumored team interested in his services is now dropping out. 

Cleveland Browns WR Elijah Moore has impressed the team, so much to the point where SI's Albert Breer says don't expect them to pursue Hopkins any further than they already have. 

"By all accounts, he had a really strong spring and he contributed to the comfort level that Cleveland had with its receiver room, which is a reason why the team hasn’t dipped its toe into the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes quite yet (and probably won’t, barring some sort of material change)," wrote Breer.

The Browns were a hot name in the Hopkins sweepstakes thanks to the relationship Hopkins had with QB Deshaun Watson dating back to their tenure together with the Houston Texans. 

Cleveland also has north of $16 million in cap space according to OverTheCap.com.

Money has been perhaps the biggest proponent of Hopkins' search for a new home. The Chiefs reportedly had a trade worked out with Arizona prior to Odell Beckham signing a surprisingly lucrative deal with the Baltimore Ravens. 

Hopkins is intent on not settling for less than the $15 million Beckham got, and thus we find ourselves in the present day situation. 

The former Cardinals pass-catcher was heavily tied to the Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, as competing for a Super Bowl was also a priority. Those two squads - for the moment - appear to have taken a backseat. 

Hopkins also isn't expected to sign anytime soon (especially with training camp a month away) though we now know that likely won't be Cleveland. 

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Donnie Druin
DONNIE DRUIN

Donnie Druin is the Publisher for All Cardinals and Inside The Suns. Donnie moved to Arizona in 2012 and has been with Fan Nation since 2018. In college he won "Best Sports Column" in the state of Arizona for his section and has previously provided coverage for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona State Sun Devils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin for more news, updates, analysis and more!