4 reasons the NY Jets should try to sign DeAndre Hopkins

The NY Jets have reshaped their wide receiver room with the additions of Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, and Randall Cobb. Could the team be willing to make one more big-name addition in the form of All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins?

While the Jets haven't shown a ton of interest in Hopkins to this point, many have identified the team as a feasible landing spot for the five-time Pro Bowler. It makes plenty of sense too.

The Jets are looking to make a serious push for the Super Bowl this season and could use another superstar on offense to help their case. The team may not be entirely "all-in," but they've been very open to short-term moves this offseason.

After all, the Jets made a serious attempt to sign Odell Beckham Jr. before he agreed to join the Baltimore Ravens. Hopkins is better than Beckham in every conceivable way at this stage, and it's hard to argue that.

That said, there's no guarantee that Hopkins is dying to play for the Jets. The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs both represent more appealing options, and Hopkins has previously hinted that he wouldn't be too thrilled about the possibility of joining the Jets.

That was before the team officially traded for Aaron Rodgers, however. Perhaps his thoughts have changed. Or perhaps money talks.

This isn't an article to explain why the Jets must sign Hopkins. Instead, this is to insist why the team should be aggressive in their pursuit of him. There's no excuse for the Jets to not make a serious attempt to sign Hopkins.

Why? Let's dive in.

4. The NY Jets can prevent a rival from signing DeAndre Hopkins

On paper, the Jets have one of the better rosters in the NFL with a quarterback they hope can compete with some of the best this sport has to offer. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean their path to the Super Bowl or even the postseason is going to be easy.

The Jets have the misfortune of playing in a loaded AFC East and an even more loaded AFC. They're competing with some of the best teams in the NFL just to earn a playoff spot this season.

Two of those teams seem to be strong contenders to sign DeAndre Hopkins — the Chiefs and the Bills. There's also the New England Patriots, who remain very interested in the longtime Houston Texans wideout.

Those are three teams the Jets are in direct competition with this season. The Jets will face the Bills and Patriots twice and will be competing with both for playoff spots and a potential division title. As for the Chiefs, they're the reigning Super Bowl champions and the team to beat in the AFC.

If the Jets allow Hopkins to sign with one of those teams, not only would they not improve their own roster, but they would see a direct competitor get better.

That shouldn't be the predominant reason the Jets make a run at Hopkins, but it certainly should be considered. Not only could the Jets improve their team, but they could prevent one of their rivals/competitors from getting better.

In an ultra-competitive division and conference, the Jets should be taking every measure possible to get a step ahead of their competition. This is a golden opportunity to do just that.

3. DeAndre Hopkins is still a great player

Contrary to what many seem to believe, DeAndre Hopkins has still been one of the most productive wide receivers in football when on the field in recent years.

Hopkins was on pace for 120 catches and over 1,350 yards last season despite playing the majority of the year with Colt McCoy and Trace McSorley at quarterback.

In just nine games, Hopkins recorded 64 catches for 717 yards and three touchdowns. Maybe he's not a top-three receiver as he was in his prime, but Hopkins is still a bonafide No. 1 wideout and one of the most physically dominant receivers in the NFL.

The biggest issue with him has been availability — and that's a legitimate concern. Hopkins has appeared in just 19 of a possible 34 games over the last two seasons due to injuries and a suspension.

Hopkins missed seven games in 2021 as a result of both hamstring and MCL injuries. He was suspended for the first six games of the 2022 season after violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy and missed the final two games of the year due to a minor knee injury.

It's fair to be concerned about Hopkins' availability issues. That said, the injury concerns might be a bit overblown.

Hopkins was the model of durability over the first eight years of his career, missing just two games. Since then, he's had a pair of relatively minor knee injuries and a hamstring strain. That's not exactly indicative of a major trend.

Hopkins is still playing at a very high level and should come at a bargain on the open market. More on that in a moment.

2. The NY Jets can save 2023 cap space by signing DeAndre Hopkins

Another reason some have pushed back on the idea that the Jets should sign DeAndre Hopkins is the potential financial ramifications. After all, this is a team that's still looking to sort out Aaron Rodgers' contract and extend star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.

Surely they should be looking to allocate their funds elsewhere, right? Not exactly.

The Jets might actually be able to save 2023 cap space by signing Hopkins. That is, of course, if they combine the move with the release of Corey Davis — which would be the anticipated outcome.

Davis has a cap hit of $11.17 million in 2023 but can be released (or traded) at any time to save the Jets $10.5 million in cap space. That money can be directly used to sign Hopkins.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport made an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday to discuss Hopkins' situation, and he revealed that his contract is expected to be similar to the deal that Michael Thomas signed earlier this offseason.

Thomas agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract that could be worth up to $15 million in incentives back in March. Rapoport also compared Hopkins' expected contract to Odell Beckham's deal with the Baltimore Ravens.

Through the use of a void year in 2024, Beckham's cap hit is under $4 million this season. The Jets haven't shied away from using void years to push money into the future this offseason. That's one option they could explore.

Either way, it's hard to imagine a scenario where Hopkins' cap hit is higher than Davis' projected $11.17 million cap charge this season. That means the Jets should be able to save 2023 cap space by releasing Davis and signing Hopkins as his replacement.

So yes, the Jets can absolutely afford to rework Aaron Rodgers' deal, extend Quinnen Williams, and sign DeAndre Hopkins. Money shouldn't be a concern.

1. The NY Jets need another offensive playmaker

The Jets have a perfectly acceptable skill position group right now. Garrett Wilson is already a star and a genuine WR1. Breece Hall can be one of the best running backs in football if he returns to full health. The rest of the unit, however, is just fine.

Allen Lazard, Corey Davis, and Mecole Hardman give the Jets three very capable NFL wide receivers. The Jets may have a deep wide receiver room, but the unit outside of Wilson is devoid of true difference-makers.

Assuming Hall will return to his pre-injury form right away wouldn't be wise, and the Jets lack top-end talent at running back behind him. Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah are quality NFL tight ends, but again, neither is exactly a game-changer.

The Jets are one injury to Wilson or Hall away from having a below-average skill position group. In a season in which the team has genuine Super Bowl aspirations, you'd think the team would be more willing to make another high-profile addition.

They flirted with the idea in the 2023 NFL Draft as the Jets nearly drafted the likes of Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs and Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer in the first round. If Gibbs was available at pick 15, the Jets very likely would have picked him, per reports.

The Jets' skill position group is fine as is. They don't need to sign Hopkins. That's not the point, though.

The Miami Dolphins didn't need to trade for Tyreek Hill and draft Jaylen Waddle. The Philadelphia Eagles didn't need to trade for A.J. Brown and draft Devonta Smith. They did so, however, because adding more star players is never a bad thing.

The Jets have an opportunity to form one of the best skill position groups in the NFL to go along with an outstanding defense and a Hall-of-Fame quarterback. They can do this while still paying their own talent.

In short, they can have their cake and eat it too. The Jets should make every effort to sign DeAndre Hopkins.