Most people expected the Arizona Cardinals to move star WR DeAndre Hopkins during the first day of the NFL Draft.
Not only was that not the case, but Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort pretty much shut down all possibilities of that happening at all.
Ossenfort claimed that the team isn’t planning on moving on from him, and they have the intention to move forward as if he were a part of the team:
“I don’t foresee that happening,” Ossenfort said. “I don’t know what is going to happen here in the next couple days. Right now, I don’t foresee that happening, no. DeAndre’s a Cardinal, and we’re moving forward.”
#Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort told reporters tonight that he “does not foresee” a Deandre Hopkins trade happening during draft week.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 28, 2023
The former Houston Texans star will have a cap hit of $30.75 million, making him an obvious trade candidate, given the team’s current status as non-contenders.
There were multiple rumors about the Cardinals wanting a second-round pick for Hopkins, and D-Hop also fueled speculation about his future by revealing some of the teams he would be willing to play for.
He would also reportedly be willing to restructure his contract to facilitate a trade, all but making this news even more surprising.
The Cardinals did make some moves during draft night, though.
They swapped third-round picks with the Philadelphia Eagles and also got a fifth-rounder for next season, which was due to a tampering investigation regarding the hiring of former Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon as their new head coach.
They later traded their No. 3 and No. 105 pick in return for No. 12 and No. 33 this year and a first and third-round selection in 2024, and they’re reportedly willing and open to making more moves for the remainder of the festivities.
Hopkins, however, seems off the table for now, but we’ve seen crazier things happen.
NEXT:
Cardinals Reportedly ‘Mulling’ Trade Offers For No. 3 Overall Pick
