The Future of DeAndre Hopkins

[Keith]

So the video Arky posted at the end of the Chargers game thread does a clever job pointing out that DeAndre Hopkins, who held out in training camp, may be looking for a way out. Hopkins statistically has had a rough season with Brock Osweiler under center, strangely worse than last year's merry-go-round of Brian Hoyer-Ryan Mallett-Brandon Weedon.

The Texans though have already exercised the 5th year option on his rookie contract, keeping him under contract through 2017. It is a balloon payment, boosting his base from $1M this year to over $7.9M next. Even still, that is not an unreasonable amount for a receiver with Hopkins' talent.

So Hopkins ended that camp holdout rather quickly... abandoning his desire to get a long-term contract, one he wasn't going to get anyway no matter how long the holdout. But it does suggest Hopkins won't be here for the long-term like his predecessor, Andre Johnson.

Johnson spent the bulk of his career catching passes from David Carr and Matt Schaub, leaving the rest of football to wonder what might have been had he played with a better QB. Of course Hopkins might want to go elsewhere since Houston is still the land of suck at the QB position. If the Texans realize this, I wonder whether they would consider trading Hopkins before the draft. Hopkins would be a desirable target for another team even at just one year for $7M (and the hope to extend).

So... what would you do? Keep Hop for $8M and at least one more season as a Texan? Or test the trade market and let him go to the highest bidder?

[WMH]

I'd trade him for good value. Brock sucks, but I don't think all of his suckage is tied to him. Doesn't seem like Hopkins has been the same WR this year. He is not creating separation, and is getting beat down off the line. He makes some impressive catches every now and then, but so does 60% of the other WR's in the league. Others usually run away from DB's when they do it, he does not have the speed for that.

You give me a 1 and a 3 and I'll do that 8 days/week. Give me a 1 and I'll think long and hard about it.

Despite some circus catches he makes, I don't see giving Hopkins $15MM/yr with Fuller, Miller, and Strong in the background.

With our QB situation for the next 3-4 years, not sure it really matters who is at WR.

[Arky]

Yeah, the #1 thing is for Dhop to be happy and at 100%. He seems a little "sluggish" this year for what ever reason....... It was not too long ago he was saying that Brock was a "great QB" so I wonder where he's at on that, now. I believe he was here when AJ was going thru his bummed out period and that probably doesn't help anything....

When he's is on, he's good, one of the best. But if he's not happy, let him go (oh, oh, oh, oh mama mia, mama mia)....

[popanot]

IMO, you don't trade an affordable, known Pro-Bowl caliber commodity for an unknown commodity (draft pick) - especially with this team's draft history. Despite Hopkins' struggles this year (and I do think 95% of it is due to our POS QB), none of the other WRs on this team has shown me anything to think they can play at the level Hopkins can. Fix the QB (and OL) and you fix Hopkins.

With that being said, the only way I trade Hopkins is if there's a top franchise-altering QB in the draft or on someone's roster that I could use Hopkins as a bargaining chip for. Problem is, I don't see any QB's out there on a roster or on the horizon I would want do that with. At least not this year. I'd rather give up a #3 or something to NE for Garrapolo or to OAK for Cook and hope like hell you hit on something. But we know that won't happen because we're tied into Big Bird for another year and heaven forbid McNut look like he has egg on his face - even though he already does with the Big Bird signing. And in reality, is Garrapolo or Cook any better of an option or sure thing than just tossing Savage out there and seeing what the hell you have (for once!!!)?

God this franchise is so frustrating. It's like football purgatory.

[popanot]

To be perfectly honest, I think looking at trading JJ would make more sense for the long-term goals of the franchise. I'm not saying I would do it, but there are multiple reasons to at least consider it.

1. His back issues
2. His contract if the back issues are serious and potentially career threatening
3. Some team would probably pay big for him in player/pick (despite the back issues)
4. We're about to run into the issue of having to pay or not pay Clowney
5. Getting rid of JJ's contract opens a lot of money for other positions/FAs

I probably don't trade JJ, but trading him makes more sense to me than trading Hopkins right now.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by popanot

To be perfectly honest, I think looking at trading JJ would make more sense for the long-term goals of the franchise. I'm not saying I would do it, but there are multiple reasons to at least consider it.

1. His back issues
2. His contract if the back issues are serious and potentially career threatening
3. Some team would probably pay big for him in player/pick (despite the back issues)
4. We're about to run into the issue of having to pay or not pay Clowney
5. Getting rid of JJ's contract opens a lot of money for other positions/FAs

I probably don't trade JJ, but trading him makes more sense to me than trading Hopkins right now.

Just as with trading Stocks & Bonds and Real Estate, timing is everything of course when trading NFL players and I think we are well passed the most opportunistic time period to trade JJ as he's now damaged goods.