Mueller: Lions, Dolphins Are Ideal Fits For DeAndre Hopkins

rsz deandrehopkins 2021 usatoday
rsz deandrehopkins 2021 usatoday

After three up-and-down seasons with the team, the Arizona Cardinals released DeAndre Hopkins last week. The team was looking to save money, and found a way by getting rid of a portion of the expensive contract that was tied to the wide receiver.

He’s now a free agent looking for a new home, and Randy Mueller of The Athletic has some ideas of where Hopkins should head if he wants to be in the right situation.

Could DeAndre Hopkins Land With The Lions Or Dolphins?

The 31-year-old Hopkins is no longer the dominant wide receiver that he once was, and there are some NFL executives who believe that he has lost a step. There were multiple anonymous sources that came out last week and questioned whether the juice would be worth the squeeze for any team that ponied up the money to pay him.

While they aren’t the betting favorites, Mueller believes that landing in either Detroit or Miami would make the most sense for DeAndre Hopkins.

Mueller highlights the Lions’ available cap space, and the offensive firepower they lost due to suspensions and the departure of tight end T.J. Hockenson. But Detroit will be one of the few teams that could offer Hopkins a multi-year deal given the money that they currently have available. Catching passes from Jared Goff wouldn’t be the ideal scenario for the veteran Hopkins, but he’s been productive with worse quarterbacks in the past.

Miami And Detroit Both Have The Cap Space

The other team that Mueller lists is the Miami Dolphins. They of course have arguably the best wide receiver duo in the NFL already in place in Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, but too many weapons is never a problem, especially in a Mike McDaniel offense. Miami gained $13 million when the release of Byron Jones became official, so they’ll have the cap space for at least a one-year deal.

But would the Dolphins use that money on yet another playmaker instead of bolstering the offensive line?

There haven’t been any reports of interest between DeAndre Hopkins and the teams that Mueller has mentioned. There were reports that came out within the last week of the Patriots being interested in the wide receiver, and it was rumored that Hopkins was open to a return of Houston in some capacity.


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