NFL Breaking News: DeAndre Hopkins Released By Arizona Cardinals
In a surprise move, the Arizona Cardinals released star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on Friday after three seasons with the team. The timing is interesting because the Cardinals have already designated two players as post-June 1 NFL cuts to spread their cap hit over the next two seasons. However, they released Hopkins a week before the deadline. That means that his full $22.6 million dollar cap hit will hit the books this season. Hopkins is now a free agent and he’s free to sign with any team for the 2023 NFL season. Let’s take a look at how this NFL breaking news could impact 2023 fantasy football rankings, NFL betting, fantasy football ADP, and more. Depending on Hopkins' landing spot, this news will shift our fantasy football draft strategy, dynasty rookie rankings, and fantasy football best ball drafts.
Arizona Cardinals Release WR DeAndre Hopkins
Impact of DeAndre Hopkins' Release on Arizona Cardinals
The loser here is obviously Kyler Murray (and whoever starts at QB while Murray recovers from the ACL). The winners for fantasy are incumbent wide receivers like Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, and possibly rookie Michael Wilson. Zach Ertz is recovering from an ACL injury, so Trey McBride might start the season. We saw how Ertz did while Hopkins was out last year (TE3 through nine weeks in PPR). Or perhaps this move could put an older veteran like Zach Ertz on the trade block as well.
Possible NFL Landing Spots for DeAndre Hopkins
Virtually every NFL team would be better with DeAndre Hopkins. So the question boils down to whether Hopkins wants to maximize money or give himself the best possible chance at winning a Super Bowl. Here are some potential options.
Detroit Lions
They have the third most cap space of any team and could use a big split end on the outside (especially with the suspension of Jameson Williams)
Buffalo Bills
Long rumored as a trade partner for Hopkins, he would likely need to take a pay cut AND they would need to find cap space in a hurry.
Baltimore Ravens
Another team connected to Hopkins via rumors and they are also working on converting to new OC Todd Monken’s Air Raid offense. You need pass catchers for that.
New England Patriots
It’s no secret that Bill Belichick and DeAndre Hopkins have a lot of respect for each other and they have the cap space. But new OC Bill O’Brien probably doesn’t help after their tumultuous time in Houston.
Tennessee Titans
If the Titans are actually serious about making another run with Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill, DeAndre Hopkins would immediately improve a desperate WR group.
Impact of DeAndre Hopkins' Release on Sports Betting
It seems that Vegas was already “in the know” on this one as the Cardinals already had the lowest over/under win total (4.5) and the worst odds of winning the Super Bowl (+20000). An early look suggests that those haven’t changed much but this news could push them down even further. It’s interesting to note that the Houston Texans are tied with the worst Super Bowl odds and also have a very low over-under - after the draft day trade this year, the Cardinals own the Texans' pick. So there is a possibility they could end up with two very high picks in the 2024 NFL Draft or even the first two.
Related NFL Links:
- NFL June 1 Cut Candidates and Trade Rumors: Is Dalvin Cook On The Move From The Vikings?
- 2023 Fantasy Football Round Up May 26: Jayden Reed and Trey Lance Make News at OTA's
- 2023 Fantasy Football Best Ball: Van Jefferson Among Fantasy Football ADP Risers
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.