There might be more to the DeAndre Hopkins situation than meets the eye.
To the casual NFL fan, a trade for Hopkins should be a no-brainer for any team in need of wide receiver help. The five-time Pro Bowl selection is one of the league's most productive pass-catchers when healthy and he instantly would become the top receiver on the depth chart for most teams.
Hopkins rumors have been circulating for months now, but as of early Tuesday morning, there hasn't been any legitimate reporting suggesting the Arizona Cardinals have made any headway on a blockbuster trade.
So, what gives? Michael Lombardi, a former NFL executive who spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the New England Patriots, provided some insight on the latest episode of his "GM Shuffle" podcast.
"I think his market is really soft," Lombardi said, as transcribed by WEEI. "I don't think anybody wants to get into the Hopkins business, and then have to redo his contract. From what I'm told, it's soft. There's not a lot of action out there on him. He's a good player, he's always covered, but he always comes up with the football. But there's other things that go into this, that I'm not at liberty to discuss that's probably holding it all back."
One has to imagine the financial ramifications are the biggest reason why the Patriots haven't been more active in their Hopkins pursuit. We know it's not due to a low opinion of the player, as head coach Bill Belichick gushed over the 30-year-old wideout when New England made a trip to Arizona last season.
The latest Patriots-Hopkins report claimed Belichick and company are "waiting out the market" for the three-time First Team All-Pro. Even if the situation doesn't dramatically shift in terms of practicality for New England, it probably should consider pulling the trigger in order to keep pace with its loaded-up division rivals.
