The NFL Combine is not only a time for teams to look at NFL draft prospects. With all of the teams having people present, it is also a time when a lot of chatter happens about possible offseason trades. Two veteran wide receivers, DeAndre Hopkins and Brandin Cooks are reportedly on the trading block. The prices were apparently revealed during the combine to teams for the veteran wide receivers.
According to @ChadGraff:
The talk around the combine about trade compensation is a second-round pick for DeAndre Hopkins and a third-round pick for Brandin Cooks.
— Wendell Ferreira (@wendellfp) March 5, 2023
Price For DeAndre Hopkins And Brandin Cooks
It won’t cost teams a first-round pick but a day 2 pick will be the price for these receivers. The Texans are looking for a third-round pick and the Cardinals are looking for a second-round pick. Both teams are in rebuild mode and do not need the veteran wide receivers on their rosters. They would much rather draft and develop young players that better fit the timeline of the team. This benefits teams that are looking for veteran help as they can often get high-quality players for a cheap price.
Should The Packers Pay The Price?
Regardless of who is the quarterback next year, the Packers should see if they can get one of these players. The more realistic is Cooks. With the history of the Packers’ third-round picks, no fan should have any problem with the front office giving up a third-round pick for a player. Cooks has been solid his whole career and would bring a veteran presence to the wide receiver room. In my mind, Cooks has the lower ceiling of the two but because of the cost, he might be the more realistic target.
Hopkins is a bit trickier. Currently, the Packers only have one second-round pick at no. 45 overall. Is Hopkins worth that price? I’m not so sure. While wide receiver is a need, the Packers also have needs at the tight end, defensive line, and safety positions. It feels less risky to grab a late-round wide receiver to fill out the room and grab more high-end talent at the top of the draft. Hopkins has also struggled with knee issues in the past couple of seasons which is not ideal.
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Ultimately, having either DeAndre Hopkins or Brandin Cooks on the team would be great. However, the Packers have proven that they can find talent in other places instead of giving up draft capital in trades. It will be interesting to see if GM Brian Gutekunst looks into trading for either of these players or whether he focuses more on free agency and the draft.
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