3 best destinations for DeAndre Hopkins, Dalvin Cook as a duo
DeAndre Hopkins and Dalvin Cook are the biggest names on the NFL free agent market. What if they decided to team up?
DeAndre Hopkins and Dalvin Cook have nine Pro Bowl appearances between them. Both profile as the best free agent available at their respective positions, and both are expected to command a decent chunk of change on their next contract.
Hopkins’ market has been vast and loud, but he’s clearly in no rush to sign. The same can be said for Cook, who should have his pick of contenders looking for another formidable weapon in their backfield. Both appear content to wait and see how the market shapes up. Their free agency could even linger into the regular season.
A tantalizing possibility would be Hopkins and Cooks coordinating their next home together. We have seen this many examples of this in the NBA superteam era. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving hand-selected Brooklyn. The Heatles with LeBron, D-Wade, and Chris Bosh. Why not carry the tradition over to the NFL?
Hopkins and Cooks aren’t quite as high-profile at this stage in their careers, but it’s hard to imagine adding both to a team’s offense wouldn’t deliver overwhelmingly positive results.
What teams make the most sense for the Hopkins/Cook duo?
No. 3 landing spot for DeAndre Hopkins-Dalvin Cook duo: Buffalo Bills
Buffalo has constructed one of the top offenses in football. Josh Allen is a consensus top-3 quarterback with the arm to punish defenses downfield and the legs to carve out short-yardage gains when the pocket collapses.
There should be inherent appeal for Hopkins to play with a QB of Allen’s caliber. Any concerns about Allen’s accuracy and decision-making were tossed out the window long ago; he’s bold with the talent to back up said boldness.
Hopkins would be joining a talented receiving corps highlighted by Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, and Dawson Knox. Davis averaged an impressive 17.4 yards per reception last season, but Hopkins would immediately assume WR2 duties opposite Diggs. Hopkins doesn’t quite have the same explosive first step that once defined him, but he’s still a big-play threat with supple hands. Allen would be thrilled with his options.
In the backfield, Dalvin Cook would join James Cook and Damien Harris in what could develop into a potent run-by-committee situation ripe for “too many Cooks in the kitchen!” jokes. While the Bills certainly believe in James Cook’s long-term future as RB1, there’s undeniable appeal in a proven workhorse of Dalvin Cook’s caliber — fresh off his fourth straight Pro Bowl. The Bills would have the kind of talent overload to make even Kansas City nervous.