Just days before the start of the new league year, the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans have agreed to a blockbuster trade that will send arguably the league’s premier wide receiver to Arizona. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Texans have agreed to trade DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-round draft pick to Arizona for RB David Johnson, a second-round pick and an additional fourth-rounder in 2021.
Cardinals get: WR DeAndre Hopkins and a 4th-round pick.
Texans get: RB David Johnson, a second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2020
On the surface, the trade immediately shifts expectations for both teams drastically. The Cardinals go from a rebuilding team to a potential NFC contender with Kyler Murray now having a wideout the caliber of DeAndre Hopkins at his disposal. Murray enjoyed a solid rookie season and will now add Hopkins to his weapon arsenal to pair with Kenyan Drake, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk.
For Houston, the deal is certainly a surprising one after Hopkins and Deshaun Watson had built such a solid rapport over the years. The only explanation is that Houston wasn’t willing to eventually pay Hopkins the top dollar he was searching for in a new deal. David Johnson will likely come in and serve as their immediate starter at running back.
The Texans’ offense will look vastly different next season without their star receiver in the fold. Deep threats Will Fuller V and Kenny Stills will serve as Watson’s primary targets. The Cardinals’ offense now looks loaded on paper, while the Texans and Bill O’Brien likely have a few more tricks up their sleeve as free agency approaches.
