New Cardinals HC sounds resigned to DeAndre Hopkins trade

Will someone please end the Cardinals’ misery and take DeAndre Hopkins off their hands? 

DeAndre Hopkins continues to sit outside the Arizona Cardinals’ building like an unwanted garage sale item. His tag reads, “As is. Name your best offer.” For the last few months, no offers have come in, and the Cards are getting a bit restless and desperate.

On Tuesday, Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon spoke to reporters and gave a short summary of Hopkins’ current situation.

The Cardinals had already begun their offseason strength and conditioning program, but Hopkins was nowhere to be found; instead, he was in Texas doing his own workouts.

Gannon said:

"“We’ll see. I’ve been in communication with D-Hop. I want to do what’s best for him and us, at the same time. When he’s ready to come, he’ll come and improve his game, too.”"

Hopkins has been linked to trade rumors ever since Gannon was noncommittal on the star receiver’s future, and Arizona has been poking around to see what it could get in a trade package.

The franchise’s current stance is that Hopkins is worth a second-round pick and perhaps something else of value, yet teams have still steered clear of him despite the cheap asking price.

Cardinals inch closer to DeAndre Hopkins trade or release

The team most rumored to land Hopkins, the New England Patriots, reportedly will only trade for him if Arizona takes on the wideout’s salary and if the Pats don’t give up any draft compensation.

Such a “trade” would be a slap to Gannon’s face, and the Cards will more likely release him and take on his dead cap rather than send him away for free.

After Odell Beckham Jr. joined the Baltimore Ravens, D-Hop poses as the most talented wideout on the market, and could get moved closer to draft time. With more than a year still left on his deal, Hopkins could alternatively stay with his team, but the fact that he didn’t participate with the Cardinals in the team’s offseason workouts should signal his time in Arizona is coming to a close.

It’s clear the new Cardinals management isn’t at all attached to the wideout and may view him more as an impending cut candidate than a viable starter.

If Arizona really wanted to “do what’s best” for D-Hop, the team would simply let him go. Expect more rumblings of a potential trade or release in these next two weeks leading up to the draft.