The Cleveland Browns have been heavy in the NFL’s rumor mill this offseason. Those rumors have largely centered around the wide receiver corps and their attempts to improve the room to spur quarterback Deshaun Watson on to the kind of season they expected when they sold the farm to acquire him from the Houston Texans.
Now, it’s another former Houston Texans player that the rumor mill is churning about. Alex Ballantine, NFL analyst for Bleacher Report, recently predicted six “bold” trades that could happen before the start of the season, and he has the Browns showing interest in Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins is a target that Watson knows well, going back to when both were in Houston, having their best seasons together.
From 2017 to 2020, Hopkins was one of the best wide receivers in the game, putting up more than 1,000 yards in each season – and more than 1,300 yards in three of the four – and scoring 37 touchdowns over that span. During that span, Hopkins made the Pro Bowl each season and was named a First-Team All-Pro three of the four years, with a Second-Team All-Pro selection in the fourth.
During that same span, a young Watson was blossoming into one of the league’s best young quarterbacks. During the 2017 season, Watson only started six games for the Texans, but played well enough to earn third-place in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. From 2018 to 2020, Watson topped 3,800 yards every season, including a league-leading 4,823 in 2020, on his way to three straight Pro Bowls himself.
Hopkins isn’t the caliber of player he was during his years in Houston, but he can still be an effective wide receiver in the league. He could serve as a good complement to a Browns wide receivers room that already consists of Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and Elijah Moore. A trade for Hopkins would likely push one of those three out, but would still provide the Browns with a high-quality room. And the move could be exactly what Watson needs to regain his Pro Bowl form and make good on the investment Cleveland made in him.
Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff WriterSep 20, 2024, 11:47 PM ETClosePaul Gutierrez joined NFL Nation in 2013 and serves as its Las Vegas Raiders reporter. He has a m
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