The New York Jets could acquire a brand new offensive weapon this offseason.
On the Badlands podcast, Joe Caporoso floated the idea of acquiring Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins via trade. A fan on Twitter reached out to Caporoso and proposed a potential trade idea that could make sense:
Arizona Cardinals receive: 2024 mid-round pick
New York Jets receive: wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins
Caporoso endorsed the move on social media and said it can be the same type of deal the Jets made back in 2015 when they acquired veteran wideout Brandon Marshall in a trade with the Chicago Bears.
A Badlands/TOJ advocated move for the 2015 Brandon Marshall season opposite of #17
Cardinals Could Be Interested in a Massive Reset
DeAndre Hopkins is one of the best wide receivers in football.
The 30-year-old (who will be 31 by the start of the 2023 season) is a five-time Pro Bowler and a three-time first-team All-Pro.
In 10 seasons in the NFL, the former first-rounder has put up monster numbers:
- 11,298 receiving yards
- 853 receptions
- 71 touchdowns
So why the heck would the Cardinals want to trade him?
He is still under contract for two more seasons through the 2024 season. However next year is a major question mark with Kyler Murray suffering a torn ACL on December 12.
With that injury happening so late in the season and him not having surgery until January 3, there’s a real chance he won’t be back for the majority of next season.
Would Hopkins want to potentially waste a prime year of his career? Would the Cardinals?
Arizona has over $26 million in available cap space which ranks 13th in the NFL, per Over The Cap.
It would make a lot of sense to ship off a veteran that can’t help them in what could be a lost season. They could save some cap space and get a future asset in the process.
A Win Now Move by the Jets in 2023
The Jets have one superstar receiver in Garrett Wilson, but who will be his running mate next year?
There is still a lot of hope that Elijah Moore can be that guy but he is coming off of a disappointing sophomore campaign.
It is becoming increasingly more likely that the Jets will move on from veteran Corey Davis this offseason. He struggled to stay healthy and catch the football consistently during his first two years with the team.
If Gang Green decided to pull the plug this offseason they could save over $9 million on the cap with a minimal dead cap hit ($666,667).
That would leave a massive void at the wide receiver position without many answers on the roster.
If Hopkins, as Caporoso alluded to in his endorsement of the trade, can have a Marshall-like impact on the offense, that could benefit everyone.
In Marshall’s first season with the Jets in 2015 he reset the franchise record books in nearly every major category: 109 catches, 1,502 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns.
Hopkins has had those kinds of seasons in his past and he would create a tough problem for opposing defenses. Who do you cover?
If you double-team Hopkins, Wilson will have favorable matchups and vice-versa.
This would be the perfect kind of move for the Jets to acquire a star talent at a fantastic discount. Plus since the Jets are actively in the quarterback market, acquiring a guy of Hopkins caliber certainly won’t hurt the recruiting pitch this offseason.
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Jets Trade Proposal Sends $54.5 Million Pro Bowl Star to New York