Potential NY Jets WR target DeAndre Hopkins might be released

The New York Jets have not officially shown interest in this WR, but that could change if he’s released

New York Jets fans will always connect the team with every possible free agent and trade target, no matter how farfetched.

The Jets’ interest in Odell Beckham Jr. was confirmed by Joe Douglas, though. That means they are definitely in on the wide receiver market.

Another receiver is available this offseason on the trade market. There is no indication the Jets are interested.

The Cardinals gave DeAndre Hopkins permission to seek a trade but were reportedly asking for a second-round pick. No one bit, especially with Hopkins’ age and bloated contract numbers.

Recently, the prevailing assumption has been that Hopkins will go for multiple later-round picks as Brandin Cooks did.

However, SI’s Albert Breer stated on a Patriots podcast that some teams believe Hopkins will be cut outright if there are no trade takers.

If Hopkins is cut, this provides an alternative to OBJ. In my opinion, the Jets should grab it with both hands.

I wrote previously about which receiver would be a better fit for the Jets. Most of the numbers seem to point clearly to Hopkins except for the draft pick compensation and contract.

If both of those are out of the way, Hopkins is a better bet than Beckham due to his recent production and less reliance on speed.

It remains to be seen if those unnamed teams’ expectation becomes reality. After all, Cooks was traded for those later picks, and he also had a relatively large contract number.

Still, this is an interesting option for the Jets to keep an eye on.