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The Path to Kansas City for DeAndre Hopkins
What does the veteran wide receiver contribute to the Chiefs’ squad, and why did they go after him? Here in Albert Breer’s mailbag, you’ll find all that and more, including: the Commanders’ improbable success, the Lions’ need for an edge player, and more.
How DeAndre Hopkins Landed in Kansas City
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News keeps coming. And so do your questions …
From ZachLaymansNFL (@ZachLaymansNFL): Why are the Chiefs uninterested in the WR trade market?
Joke’s on you, Zach! As you know by now, the Kansas City Chiefs are trading a conditional fifth-rounder that can become a fourth for Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins. So, here’s how we got there …
• After Rashee Rice injured his knee, and with Marquise “Hollywood” Brown already on the shelf with a shoulder injury, the Chiefs wanted to get a good look at what the offense looked like with Xavier Worthy and Juju Smith-Schuster in enhanced roles. Rice is gone for the year, and things turned on Brown around the opener in September. They expected to have him back then. Instead, after a setback, there’s a chance, but not a great one, that they get him back during the playoffs.
• Kansas City’s good look at its receivers had ups and downs. The Chiefs looked great offensively against the New Orleans Saints, and not so much against the San Francisco 49ers, and then Smith-Schuster tweaked his hamstring, only making the situation more dire.
• The Chiefs didn’t want to give up a top-100 pick in a trade for a receiver. Given where Kansas City is with a top-heavy cap, including big deals for Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones, those picks are very valuable in filling out the roster. That, plus the fact that the Las Vegas Raiders are in the division, made Davante Adams a bit unrealistic. Amari Cooper went for more than a top-100 pick, too.
• Kansas City needed a team to work with it on money, too, with less than $5 million in cap space. Could they mortgage some things? Sure. But staying loose was the prudent move with contracts for guys such as Trent McDuffie, Nick Bolton and Trey Smith sitting out there as issues to address after the season.
So, in the end, Hopkins—a guy with red-zone value and inside-out versatility to make up for the loss of Smith-Schuster now, and play with him later—wound up making the most sense. Now, we get to see how much he truly has left.
From Scott (@Scott8949): If you were GM of the Bengals, what would be the one (realistic) move you would make to help push this team closer to Super Bowl-contending status again? Should I be worried about Zac Taylor as our head coach?
Scott, I’d be scouring struggling teams’ rosters for corner help right now. To me, the biggest issues the Cincinnati Bengals have are in the pass rush and at corner. In the case of the former, they have Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard and, soon, Myles Murphy. In the latter, they need more from DJ Turner II and Cam Taylor-Britt, and it seems to me like there’s less certainty there than there is with the edge rushers.
Now, who could be available? One name that popped into my head, because of familiarity, was Chidobe Awuzie, who signed with the Tennessee Titans, following former Bengals OC Brian Callahan to Nashville. But he’s hurt right now. And the contract, a three-year, $36 million deal in its first season, might be a nonstarter. Cleveland Browns CB Greg Newsome II would be attractive, too, but he plays for a rival and has a fully guaranteed $13.3 million option for 2025.
Bottom line: It’s not going to be easy to find an upgrade at corner. So I’m skeptical that something will happen for the Bengals here. But I do think they’ll be open to making a deal.
No. I do not believe GM John Schneider, who is now in his 15th year, would make any sort of significant personnel move based on public reaction. In his first couple of years in charge, there were a lot of questions about what he and Pete Carroll were doing at quarterback and receiver, and it turns out they were busy building one of the most talented rosters in league history.
Fair to say Schneider’s earned the right to tune out the noise. Not that he would’ve listened to it in the first place.
The Titans traded Hopkins to the Chiefs in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2025 that is conditional.
The Titans traded Hopkins to the Chiefs in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2025 that is conditional. Denny Simmons of The Tennessean in the United States NOW SERIES
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The news just won’t quit. The same goes for your inquiries…
According to ZachLaymansNFL (@ZachLaymansNFL), the Chiefs’ lack of interest in the wide receiver trade market is puzzling.
Zach, the joke is on you! The Kansas City Chiefs are trading a conditional fifth-rounder with the potential to become a fourth pick for DeAndre Hopkins, a wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans. It all started with this…
With Rashee Rice out with a knee injury and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown out with a shoulder injury, the Chiefs were interested in seeing how the offense would function with Xavier Worthy and Juju Smith-Schuster in more prominent roles. Rice is out for the season, and Brown’s luck started to turn around in the weeks leading up to the September opener. At the time, they thought they would have him. So, instead of getting him back after a loss, they might be lucky enough to get him in the playoffs, albeit it’s not likely.
• There were highs and lows with Kansas City’s strong receiver coverage. The Chiefs’ offense was on point over the Saints, but they struggled against the 49ers, and things got even worse when Smith-Schuster injured his hamstring.
• The Chiefs were reluctant to trade a receiver for a choice in the top 100. Those selections are extremely crucial for Kansas City’s roster depth, considering their cap situation, which includes large deals for Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones. That, along with the division’s Las Vegas Raiders, made Davante Adams seem a little too idealistic. It was also more than a top-100 selection for Amari Cooper.
• With a cap space of less than $5 million, Kansas City also needed a team that could help with finances. Will they be able to take out a mortgage? Of course. With players’ contracts like Trent McDuffie’s, Nick Bolton’s, and Trey Smith’s hanging in the balance heading into the offseason, it was wise to keep things relaxed.
Hopkins, who can compensate for Smith-Schuster’s departure now and play alongside him later, is a versatile inside-out receiver with red-zone value. This made the most sense in the end. The true extent of his remaining resources is now revealed.
This message is from Scott (@Scott8949); What one (practical) step would you take as general manager of the Bengals to get this team back into the conversation for Super Bowl contention? Is Zac Taylor’s appointment as our head coach cause for concern?
Hey Scott, If I were a desperate team, I’d be looking for a cornerback right now. In my opinion, the Cincinnati Bengals’ pass rush and cornerback situations are their most pressing problems. The former will soon have Myles Murphy joining Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. I get the impression that there is less certainty in the latter group compared to the edge rushers, and they require more from DJ Turner II and Cam Taylor-Britt.
Who, then, might be free at this time? Because of our previous acquaintance, the name Chidobe Awuzie immediately came to mind when discussing the Tennessee Titans. Awuzie followed former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan to Nashville. However, he is currently in pain. Even after the first season, the three-year, $36 million pact may not go through. Also appealing would be Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II, although he’s on the other team and has a $13.3 million option for 2025 that is completely guaranteed.
The bottom truth is that finding an upgrade at the corner will not be easy. Thus, I have my doubts that the Bengals will come out on top in this situation. But I believe they will be amenable to negotiating a compromise.
The Seahawks defeated the Falcons in Week 7 thanks to Smith’s leadership. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Tweeted by axelMTG (@axelMTG): Many Seahawks supporters despise Geno Smith, even if he had a breakout season. Is it possible that a front office might trade a player for a marketing reason? It has been much quieter at Lumen Field as of late, and I’m not sure if they still sell his jerseys. “I am not bothered if they grant him an annual percentage yield of around $50.”
No. I find it hard to believe that General Manager John Schneider, who is currently in his fifteenth year, would base any major personnel change on public opinion. Many wondered what he and Pete Carroll were up to with the quarterback and receiver positions in their first few years as head coach, but it turned out they were constructing a team with more skill than any other in league history.
Schneider has, I think, earned the right to ignore the commotion. He never would have listened to it anyway.
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