Tennessee Titans new favorites to land DeAndre Hopkins
Three-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins was released by the Arizona Cardinals earlier this summer, making him a free agent after the team could not trade him by the NFL Draft.
The star pass catcher has snagged 853 passes in his pro career, making him a hot commodity. Which NFL team is going to sign him in 2023?
Several top squads from Buffalo to Kansas City have notable hypothetical odds to land Hopkins. But this week, Tennessee has emerged as the new betting favorite for where the star might end up, as the Titans have hinted that Hopkins could be on his way to Music City.
Let's dive into the odds on where "Nuk" might end up next, with FOX Sports NFL Analyst Geoff Schwartz's analysis as well.
ODDS ON DEANDRE HOPKINS' NEXT TEAM *
Tennessee Titans: -175 (bet $10 to win $15.71 total)
New England Patriots: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
Kansas City Chiefs: +330 (bet $10 to win $43 total)
Buffalo Bills: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Detroit Lions: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Dallas Cowboys: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Houston Texans: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
New York Jets: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Cleveland Browns: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Chicago Bears: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Los Angeles Chargers: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
* hypothetical odds as of 7/13/2023
[RELATED: Seven prime landing spots for DeAndre Hopkins]
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The Titans currently sit with the best odds to land Hopkins, and understandably so.
"There's no questioning that the Tennessee Titans could use free-agent receiver DeAndre Hopkins, FOX Sports' AFC South reporter Ben Arthur wrote. "On paper, they have one of the worst wide receiver rooms in the NFL entering 2023 — after having one of the worst wide receiver rooms last season."
(Related: Would Deandre Hopkins actually make the Titans contenders?)
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have the second-best hypothetical odds to land DeAndre on their squad. Bill O'Brien, who was the head coach for the final six of Hopkins' seven seasons with the Houston Texans, is the offensive coordinator for the Patriots, so that could be an ideal fit.
The Chiefs have the third-best hypothetical odds to be the free agent's new home. Can you imagine Hopkins catching one of those no-look passes from Patrick Mahomes with Kansas City en route to another Super Bowl?
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Hopkins tormented the Buffalo Bills with his 43-yard "Hail Murray" touchdown catch with two seconds left to give the Cardinals a 32-30 victory in 2020. Maybe he returns to Buffalo, this time as a prime target for QB Josh Allen instead of as the enemy. The Bills did open as the favorites to land Hopkins, so there is always a chance.
Perhaps a Texans-sized reunion with quarterback Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns is in Hop's future. Or maybe Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers wants the receiver on his team so that he can recreate the magic he made with Davante Adams. Both teams are lower down the odds board.
Pick via FOX Sports NFL Analyst Geoff Schwartz:
DeAndre Hopkins is entering his 11th season, and although he missed the first six games of 2022 for a violation of the league's performance-enhancing drugs policy, he showed he’s got plenty left in the tank. The top teams will covet Hopkins to add to their receiver room. However, I have a favorite team I’d wager on to land him.
The Bills and Chiefs being the favorites to sign Hopkins make sense, as those two teams have been reported to have called Arizona about a trade for Hopkins this spring. I would not bet on the Chiefs for Hopkins unless he’s willing to take far less money for a chance to play with Mahomes and win a ring.
The Chiefs have been measured about the deals they give out, not paying more than they're comfortable with. One can look toward their singing of former Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith as an example of the structure of a Hopkins deal. Smith has started 124 games at left tackle and, when healthy, can be above average. He signed for a $4 million base with up to $5 million in playing time incentives. That’s a total of $9 million, which would be the low end of veteran contracts for a left tackle.
The Chiefs would offer Hopkins the same structure, though I’d imagine the base salary would be more than what Smith signed for. Hopkins can agree to that deal, but other teams will offer him more, and most players take the money. So, again, I'm not so hot on the Chiefs in this spot, despite them being one of the "favorites."
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The Buffalo Bills are interested in free agent WR DeAndre Hopkins but ‘are not going to pay’ according to a report.
I would be OK with a sprinkle on the Bills for Hopkins, but currently, Buffalo is sitting in the red for effective cap space. Buffalo would need to create space for him, requiring some money shuffling. It’s certainly doable, and for Hopkins, they’d make it happen.
However, I get the sense that Buffalo won’t overpay for Hopkins, and with Odell Beckham signing for $15 million with the Ravens, Hopkins will want similar money. There could be some anxiety within the organization that the Bills need to win ASAP, so they’d pay that price. That’s why it’s worth a sprinkle.
This leads me to the team I'd sprinkle some money on. My favorite wager for Hopkins is the Chargers, sitting at +10000 for his services. They have the cap space needed for Hopkins and a need for more wide-receiver help. Hopkins would get to stay out West and play with rocket-armed quarterback Justin Herbert. We know new Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will spread out the field, and a route runner like Hopkins would fit their needs.
Hopkins not having to be the primary receiving option could be refreshing for him. He’d see fewer double teams and be able to work with more space. This is why I'm circling the Chargers for Hopkins as a nice destination."
PICK: Chargers (+10000) to sign DeAndre Hopkins
Where will Hopkins end up playing in 2023? Stay tuned to FOX Sports for all the latest on one of the biggest stories of the NFL offseason.
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