DETROIT – Free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (D-Hop) would be a perfect fit for the up-and-coming Detroit Lions.
Hopkins, who is a five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, was released by the Arizona Cardinals Friday (May 26) after spending three seasons with the team.
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The 30-year-old star receiver finished his Cardinals career with 2,696 yards, 17 receiving touchdowns on 221 receptions. That type of top-tier talent is what the Lions are missing in their wide receiver room.
Hopkins has been linked to players and teams like Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, Dak Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys, and Lamar Jackson, Odell Beckham Jr., and the Baltimore Ravens but Detroit as a dark horse landing spot has been floating around for the past few days.
Those teams seem like good fits for the star wideout, but salary could be a problem as they have minimal dollars to give to appease a receiver of Hopkins stature.
If it’s offensive power that he’s looking for, then Ford Field would be a good stadium to play in for half of the season as it is a controlled environment; also, the Lions were ranked as one of the best offensive teams for the 2022 season.
The subtraction of D’Andre Swift looks iffy, but the additions of David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs bolster the run game. The organization is also $24 million under the salary cap, so money will be fine.
Not to mention, second-year receiver Jameson Williams was suspended for the first six games (36% of the season) so Hopkins could slot right in and be productive in the national televised season opener against the Chiefs.
The idea of Hopkins coming to Detroit would’ve been a laughing matter in years past, but these are not your father’s Lions, as they’re coming into the 2023 season with expectations of doing something magical, especially after finishing last season with a winning record, for the first time since 2017.
Not the mention, the NFC North is wide open as Aaron Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets, and reports indicate that Minnesota Vikings star running Dalvin Cook could also be on the move, leaving the division wide open for the Lions to roam freely.
Lions General Manager Brad Holmes made waves across the league during the NFL draft as he traded the No. 6 overall pick to the Cardinals in exchange for the No. 12 pick, the No. 34 pick, and a fifth-round pick, drafting Gibbs at No. 12, and then reached for the best linebacker in the draft, Jack Campbell, at No. 18.
They have also addressed the defensive backfield during the offseason by trading lottery pick Jeff Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons; adding Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Mosley, and C.J. Gardner Johnson while drafting safety Brian Branch to bolster their defense will appropriately impact the team.
Suppose D-Hop wants to play with a good defense. In that case, Detroit is the perfect landing spot as the team in Honolulu Blue had the most improved defense over the second half of the 2022 season, and with recent additions and draft picks, they have the most improved defense this offseason as well.
Hopkins said he wanted to play with a good quarterback. If good is what he’s looking for, then Jared Goff is your guy, as pundits have him ranked ninth overall in the entire NFC behind guys like Matthew Stafford, Jalen Hurts, and division foe Kirk Cousins.
Pairing him with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Marvin Jones Jr., Kalif Raymond, and Williams would be the greatest show on turf part two.
For instance, D-Hop and St. Brown ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in catches per target last season; those numbers would provide Detroit with a least a playoff win and, at best, a chance to the Super Bowl.
Hopkins would provide experience and guidance to a franchise with postseason hopes and aspirations.
With the weaponry already on the field and Goff playing as he did in 2022, the addition of Hopkins would be astronomical for the franchise and the city. They might even change the historic Hitsville USA to Hopsville if Dan Campbell and Holmes could pull this deal off.
What do you think about adding D-Hop to the Lions receiving core? Would the addition do wonders for the franchise, or do you see him taking his talents to greener pastures?
