The Cleveland Browns have shown interest in trading for top wide receiver talent and one of QB Deshaun Watson’s former teammates could be back in their crosshairs.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report authored a proposal on Saturday, August 31, in which the Browns acquire DeAndre Hopkins of the Tennessee Titans.
“DeAndre Hopkins is a logical hypothetical target,” Ballentine wrote. “The 32-year-old showed he’s still got it with a 1,000-yard season in 2023, but the Titans are in the middle of a rebuild and the veteran is on the final year of his contract. That’s not to mention the chemistry that Hopkins already has with Watson from their days together in Houston.”
Hopkins and Watson were both members of the Texans between 2017-19. During those three years, Watson made two Pro Bowls while Hopkins made three. The receiver was also an All-Pro all three years — an honor he has earned five times in his 11-year NFL career.
Browns Restructured Deshaun Watson’s Contract, Opening Door to Trade Possibilities
Hopkins hauled in 75 receptions for 1,057 yards and 7 TDs last season. More importantly, he played all 17 games for the first time in three years.
The star receiver is entering his age-32 campaign as well as the second and final year of a $26 million contract that carries a salary cap hit of $18.3 million. The Browns recently opened up around $36 million in cap space by restructuring Watson’s contract, bumping their 2024 total to more than $51 million as of Saturday — the most in the league.
Cleveland may intend to roll most of that space over to 2025, when Watson’s cap hit will balloon to nearly $73 million. However, some of that money may be better spent on a player of Hopkins’ quality for a team built to win right now.
As far as the trade cost, Hopkins wouldn’t likely run the Browns more than a fourth-round pick, which is the same deal the Los Angeles Chargers got from the Chicago Bears for Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen this offseason.
DeAndre Hopkins Can Offer Browns Offensive Firepower They Sought From Brandon Aiyuk
The Browns showed a willingness to spend big on another wideout to line up alongside Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy this season by pursuing Brandon Aiyuk of the San Fransisco 49ers.
Aiyuk nixed a trade to Cleveland in favor of signing a $120 million extension with the 49ers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Browns offered Aiyuk a contract worth even more than that, beyond a trade package that likely would have needed to include a first-round pick and then some to get San Francisco on board.
“[The Browns] already were offering more money than Pittsburgh, more money than San Francisco,” Schefter told “The Pat McAfee Show” on August 29. “That wasn’t the issue. The issue simply was that he preferred to go elsewhere.”
By comparison, a fourth-round selection and an $18 million cap hit for a year of Hopkins coming off of a bounce-back season is a minimal price for a major upgrade to the receiver room.
