Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones walks onto the field before an NFL game.
The rumors linking the Dallas Cowboys to Arizona Cardinals star receiver DeAndre Hopkins continue to heat up. PHNX Cardinals Podcast host Johnny Venerable reported that the Cowboys are “monitoring” a potential trade for Hopkins.
“The Dallas Cowboys are monitoring the trade market for Arizona Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins, per source,” Venerable tweeted on March 7, 2023.
According to Bally Sports’ Michael Silver, the Cardinals were shopping Hopkins during the NFL Combine. The star playmaker still has two seasons remaining on a $54 million contract and is slated to have a $19.4 million salary in 2023.
The Cardinals Are Seeking a Second Round Pick in a Trade for DeAndre Hopkins: Report
It remains to be seen what Arizona will be able to command in a deal for a receiver who will be 31 years old when the season starts. Hopkins has missed 15 games over the last two seasons due to a combination of injuries and a suspension.
The star receiver has not topped the 1,000 receiving yards mark since 2020 when Hopkins had a streak of four straight seasons notching this achievement. Hopkins had 64 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns during nine appearances in 2022. Arizona Football Daily’s Mike Jurecki reported that the Cardinals are seeking a second-round pick along with an additional player or selection in exchange for Hopkins.
“Per source the Cardinals do have parameters to trade DeAndre Hopkins more likely after free agency starts,” Jurecki tweeted on March 7. “As reported second round pick and conditional pick or player.”
DeAndre Hopkins Has Been Hanging Out With Dez Bryant in Dallas
Hopkins has been spotted hanging out with Cowboys legend Dez Bryant in the Dallas area on multiple occasions this offseason. Bryant has been leading a public recruiting effort to push Dallas to trade for Hopkins. The star wideout made an appearance on a recent Twitter live video that Bryant posted and praised CeeDee Lamb.
“That’s my boy. He wear that 8-8, now,” Hopkins said of Lamb during a March 6 video. “He do his thing out there on that field. He got something in him.”
Lamb has been vocal about his desire for Dallas to “add more weapons” this offseason. The star Cowboys receiver posted career high numbers in every major statistical category notching 107 receptions for 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022.
“Always just gotta, of course, add more weapons,” Lamb told NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe during a February 5 interview. “I feel like in that situation you can always be better. There’s never enough, you can never run out of ammo. We just gotta finish.”
The Cowboys Want to Make a ‘Splash’ on Offense: Report
According to NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry, the Cowboys are looking to make a “splash” with an offensive addition this offseason. The jury is still out on whether Dallas is willing to take on Hopkins’ lucrative contract just one year after trading away Amari Cooper.
“What that splash means remains to be seen, whether it’s trading up (or for) a big-name player, a splashy signing in free agency or what, but they definitely want a big headliner,” Berry wrote on March 6. “I threw out to my source ‘What about DeAndre Hopkins?’ And my source said ‘Yeah, something like that.’ Again, it was my first thought, not my source’s and he didn’t bite beyond basically agreeing that would be a big splash, so I’m not even saying that’s a rumor. But I thought it was interesting.”