Report: Buffalo Bills emerging as favorite to land veteran wideout
It's no secret the Buffalo Bills want to bolster their wide receiving unit this offseason. They may be close to achieving that goal.
According to Aaron Wilson of NBC Houston, the trade market for Hopkins is "headlined" by the Buffalo Bills, though Wilson notes that there is plenty of interest in the wide receiver around the league.
Wilson put out his report essentially at the time that former cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones linked Hopkins to Buffalo on the "Pat McAfee Show."
Jones also mentioned the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders as potential suitors for the veteran star.
You can probably scratch the Ravens off that list, though, as Wilson noted that Baltimore and Kansas City have bowed out of the conversation due to the financial obligations that come with Hopkins' contract.
Hopkins will be due $34 million over the final two years of his contract. As Spotrac pointed out, an acquiring team can kick the can down the road by converting Hopkins' salary into a signing bonus.
The money is one potential hurdle. Then there's the actual return that Arizona is seeking in exchange for Hopkins. While Arizona has reportedly sought a second-round pick and more in exchange for Hopkins, SI.com's Albert Breer reported on Wednesday that the compensation would look more like a fifth or sixth-round draft selection.
Hopkins doesn't comes without risk. Over the last two seasons, he has missed nine games due to injury and another six due to a suspension from the NFL for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.
Despite these potential red flags, Hopkins has proven he can still be a difference-maker on the gridiron. Limited to nine games in 2022-23, he recorded 64 catches for 717 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 11.2 yards per-catch.
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