Texans trade DeAndre Hopkins to Cardinals; Vikings send Stefon Diggs to Bills for a first-round pick
For the second time in less than a year, the Texans traded a superstar that left critics wondering if they got sufficient value in return.
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Two of the best receivers in the NFL changed teams Monday and the Eagles were left empty-handed.
On the first day of the NFL free-agency tampering period, the Houston Texans traded DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson and a package of picks.
Later in the night, The Vikings reportedly dealt Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills for a slew of draft selections, including the No. 22 pick in next month’s draft.
Hopkins, 27, has been a dominant outside receiving threat the last few seasons and had 104 catches for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns last year. Plus, he’s under contract for three more seasons, making roughly $14 million a year.
The Texans also got a second-round pick in the draft next month and will swap fourth-rounders with the Cardinals, moving up 17 spots.
Johnson, 28, is coming off a down year in which he was hampered by injuries, rushing for only 345 yards on 94 attempts. He was an All-Pro selection in 2016 after amassing 2,118 yards from scrimmage, but he has struggled in recent years. Late last season, he was phased out of the Cardinals backfield in favor of Kenyan Drake and Chase Edmunds.
Johnson has two years left on his contract and will earn about $11 million next season. His annual earnings make him the fourth-highest-paid running back in the league.
For the second time in less than a year, the Texans traded a superstar and left critics wondering if they got sufficient value in return. Last September, Houston sent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks for two linebackers and a third-round pick in this year’s draft. The Eagles had expressed interest in Clowney but chose not to outbid Seattle at the start of the season.
Diggs, 26, had 63 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns last season but had an occasionally rocky relationship with Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. He’s under contract through 2023, making about $14 million per year.
The Vikings reportedly received a first-, fifth-, and sixth-round pick in next month’s draft and a 2021 fourth-rounder. They’ll send their seventh-round pick this year to the Bills along with Diggs. The Eagles won’t have to worry about the receiver-needy Bills trying to leapfrog them in the draft, but they did miss out on an elite receiving option via trade.