![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="439" width="780" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
DeAndre Hopkins has helped the Arizona Cardinals free up some space under the salary cap for free agency. The roster bonus Hopkins was due has been reworked into a signing bonus.
It’s a timely move after the Cardinals saw two useful playmakers, wide receiver Christian Kirk and running back Chase Edmonds, find new homes on Monday, March 14. Kirk agreed to join the Jacksonville Jaguars, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, while Edmonds signed a two-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Now , Cardinals’ general manager Steve Keim needs to retool the skill positions, while also finding help for a defense short of talent at cornerback and edge-rusher. Restructuring Hopkins’ contract will help.
ALL the latest Cardinals news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Cardinals newsletter here!
Hopkins’ Restructure Provides Cap Relief
Finding relief under the cap proved straightforward for the Cards’ front office. It was just a matter of reworking the bonus owed the team’s best wide receiver following the trade with the Houston Texans in 2020.
ESPN’s Field Yates provided the details:
As Cardinals reporter Darren Urban pointed out, this move made the most sense:
The help is obvious, with the Cardinals now having $9,663,113 worth of room under the cap, according to Spotrac.com. It’s not a princely sum but still a decent amount, especially considering the Cardinals have already brought back two important free agents from a year ago.
Tight end Zach Ertz was the first to re-up. He came back to Arizona on a three-year deal the day before the start of so-called “legal tampering,” per Rapoport.
Ertz was soon joined by running back James Conner, who signed fresh terms on Monday. Conner’s deal was broken down by Spotrac:
Keeping Ertz in the fold means quarterback Kyler Murray still has his safety valve over the middle in the passing game. Murray can also still hand the ball to Conner, who brings some power and versatility to the ground game, not to mention a prolific streak in the red zone.
Conner and Ertz are both important for the offense, but things would look a lot better with some more help for Hopkins.
Hopkins Needs Help
That help should take the form of another wide receiver. Kirk is gone, A.J. Green is a free agent, while Andy Isabella is available for trade.
It means the Cards should be active players in a receiver market that’s still pretty robust after Monday. Allen Robinson, Jarvis Landry and T.Y. Hilton are some of the biggest names still looking for new teams.
Affording any member of that trio could be tricky, so Keim would be wise to set his sights a little lower. Wideouts like Will Fuller, Jamison Crowder or Emmanuel Sanders would all fit the bill nicely.
Each of those pass-catchers would take coverage away from Hopkins for different reasons. Fuller, Hopkins’ one-time teammate with the Texans, is a legitimate vertical threat who can force defenses to keep safeties deep.
Sanders is a tough veteran who comes alive in the red zone. Meanwhile, Crowder works well between the hashmarks and would give the Cardinals the slot receiver they lost when Kirk left town.
Numbers from Next Gen Stats show how effective Kirk was from the slot:
Whichever direction the Cardinals go, they have to come away with some help for Hopkins. He’s too easy to isolate and double cover without another receiver defenses fear.
Green was anything but that in 2021, but his struggles shouldn’t deter Keim from taking another chance on a capable veteran.
0 Comments