Hopkins released by Arizona (7/16: signed by Titans)

[Maynard]

[1ManRaid]

1 hour ago, transient said:

Beane's reported attempt to get one of the first round WRs in this year's draft, his ultimate selection of Kinkaid, his interest in DHop and OBJ, and Davis's play on the field last season when defenses adjusted to him combined with Digg's frustration in the offense at the end of the season would suggest otherwise...

 

His history of being a "no stone left unturned" GM, which is how we landed Diggs after a year plus of courting the Vikings, would not suggest he was going to/should have given $15m/year to someone we couldn't get that value out of.  May as well give $30m/year to a backup QB.

 

*edit*

Should mention Kincaid (or hypothetical top WRs in draft) is a hell of a lot more cap friendly than Hopkins.  We could afford the luxury pick of a drafted weapon.  Once we already have that luxury, mortgaging the future to sign Hopkins for shorter than Kinkaid's rookie contract would be downright malicious mismanagement of the roster and cap.

Edited July 16, 2023 by 1ManRaid

[JohnBonhamRocks]

We still got Leonard Floyd!

[HOUSE]

This was a lot of fun, thanks 

[NewEra]

2 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Why should Hopkins, a bonafide stud WR, settle for less when Beane is overpaying JAG rotational defensive linemen? 

Because Beane IS overpaying JAG rotational lineman.  Are we talking about pretend Scott world or are we talking about real life?  
 

if he was going to sign in Buffalo he had to take less. Period.  
 

why should he take less?  So he’d have a much better chance at winning a Super Bowl.  But money matters more to him.  Which is fine.  But he won’t be winning a SB on this contract .

[Bferra13]

3 hours ago, dgrochester55 said:

Titans?   Because Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis will get Hopkins much further than Allen or Mahomes would have.  

No, because $$$$$$. All that winning stuff is a distant second 

[Coldfronts]

Great news! I would have hated to see him play with the Pats or chiefs 

[transient]

56 minutes ago, 1ManRaid said:

 

His history of being a "no stone left unturned" GM, which is how we landed Diggs after a year plus of courting the Vikings, would not suggest he was going to/should have given $15m/year to someone we couldn't get that value out of.  May as well give $30m/year to a backup QB.

 

*edit*

Should mention Kincaid (or hypothetical top WRs in draft) is a hell of a lot more cap friendly than Hopkins.  We could afford the luxury pick of a drafted weapon.  Once we already have that luxury, mortgaging the future to sign Hopkins for shorter than Kinkaid's rookie contract would be downright malicious mismanagement of the roster and cap.

I wasn’t arguing for Hopkins, I was arguing against your assessment that that I bolded and italicized, that Davis is fine as a WR2.
 

Hopkins would have been a nice addition as a WR2, but not at anywhere near what the Titans gave him. IMO giving a 31 yo DHop that contract just compounds the mistake they made in getting rid of AJ Brown. 

[Success]

It's actually pretty thrilling it's not the Chiefs. It's almost as thrilling that it's not in the division.

 

 

[JerseyBills]

Glad it was them. Lets give the Jags some tough divisional games.

I feel like Jax is right up there with Buf,, KC, Cincy on O with Ridley coming back and Lawrence looking like he took that steps to be considered elite. 

 

That game in London will be an early Big game for us , as i see Jax making the jump to being legit AFC contenders. Still think we're better but the margin isn't as slim as some might think

Edited July 17, 2023 by JerseyBills

[PromoTheRobot]

6 hours ago, Dablitzkrieg said:

 

 

 

I'm fine with the Titans getting him. This also has the added benefit of sticking it to the Patriots. Many of their fans thought Hop was signing there. Oh well.

[Matt_In_NH]

Trade Oliver to the titans for Dhop?

Edited July 17, 2023 by Matt_In_NH

[Goin Breakdown]

3 minutes ago, Matt_In_NH said:

Trade Oliver to the titans for Dhop?

Stop it lol

[Doc Brown]

Just heard the news.  My first reaction is disappointment as Beane could’ve moved enough money around to make this work.  Happy it’s Tennessee though if it’s not here.

Edited July 17, 2023 by Doc Brown

[boyst]

[Virgil]

That's a decent sized contract, but something I still think Beane should have made happen.  DHop showed enough in his return from suspension that he still requires defenses to pay attention to him.  He was easily the best WR available this offseason and his impact on the Bills would most likely be more than any other player we drafted or signed.  

 

If we are truly in our win-now, Super Bowl window, this is the move you need to make to keep up with the rest of the AFC.  

Are we a bad team without him?  No.  Are we still contenders without him?  Yes.  But that's not the point.  The point is what is that move that gets us to the next level?  I'm sorry, but drafting Kincaid, another Edge, and extending Oliver is not anywhere near on the same level of impact as getting Dhop.  Upgrading our offensive line was a good start, but DHop would have made use much scarier on offense.  Let Davis go back to the slot.

 

Oh well

[MasterStrategist]

2 minutes ago, Virgil said:

That's a decent sized contract, but something I still think Beane should have made happen.  DHop showed enough in his return from suspension that he still requires defenses to pay attention to him.  He was easily the best WR available this offseason and his impact on the Bills would most likely be more than any other player we drafted or signed.  

 

If we are truly in our win-now, Super Bowl window, this is the move you need to make to keep up with the rest of the AFC.  

Are we a bad team without him?  No.  Are we still contenders without him?  Yes.  But that's not the point.  The point is what is that move that gets us to the next level?  I'm sorry, but drafting Kincaid, another Edge, and extending Oliver is not anywhere near on the same level of impact as getting Dhop.  Upgrading our offensive line was a good start, but DHop would have made use much scarier on offense.  Let Davis go back to the slot.

 

Oh well

Davis doesn't play the "slot", much at all. 

 

But oh well

[Virgil]

4 minutes ago, MasterStrategist said:

Davis doesn't play the "slot", much at all. 

 

But oh well

His rookie year, while not a traditional slot, that where he saw the most success. Now, was that a Daboll thing, maybe.  

[JaCrispy]

Well, he got his money…hopefully that satisfies him enough to overcome the losing he’s about to experience…

[MasterStrategist]

Just now, Virgil said:

His rookie year, while not a traditional slot, that where he saw the most success. Now, was that a Daboll thing, maybe.  

No he didn't.  That was Beas' role.

 

I don't care ro argue about this, but Gabe never played in the slot (primary position).  He may have aligned in a reduced split, or had some snaps as the "#2" (ie: outside wr is #1, next is 2, closest to center is #3) but that was never his thing.  He's way too stiff/not fluid enough for that role.  He's always been an outside, build up speed type of player.

[Mr. WEO]

With that QB room, at least the Titans won't have to pay any of that incentive money...

[78thealltimegreat]

Well DHOP wanted his bag and he got it.

Great receiver but he played the wrong position for Brandon Beane had DHOP played defensive end he would have been a Bill.
Good luck Deandre the early reports on Will Levis are you are going to earn every single penny of it since he apparently can’t hit the ocean standing on the beach. 

[Doc Brown]

2 minutes ago, 78thealltimegreat said:

Well DHOP wanted his bag and he got it.

Great receiver but he played the wrong position for Brandon Beane had DHOP played defensive end he would have been a Bill.
Good luck Deandre the early reports on Will Levis are you are going to earn every single penny of it since he apparently can’t hit the ocean standing on the beach. 

Which position did he trade a first and a fourth for again?

[Einstein's Dog]

It's finally over.  I was having DHop fatigue.  The longer it went on the less my enthusiasm.  Started to look prima donna-ish, and news of poor practice habits didn't set well.

 

M Evans has become my top hope.  Should be able to get him after the Bills/Tampa game on 10/26 right before the 11/1 trade deadline.  Tampa should be about 2-5 at that point.  Should be able to acquire him at a more reasonable price.

[PetermansRedemption]

55 minutes ago, Matt_In_NH said:

Trade Oliver to the titans for Dhop?

Not for that contract. Could have just signed him and dumped Oliver for a late pick if we wanted to go that route. 

[John from Riverside]

3 hours ago, Billl said:

No, he literally came in year three.  Josh’s rookie year was 2018.  Diggs came to Buffalo in 2020.

oh, you are correct smoke brown literally had his best season with Josh Allen

[SCBills]

Best case scenario, aside for us getting im on a team friendly deal. 
 

Jags looked to have a cakewalk to the division and no reason they can’t compete for the 1 seed.  At least now there’s a team with any level of ability in the AFC South that they have to face x2. 

[Starr Almighty]

It says expected to sign. Don't give up hope yet fellas 🤣🤣🤣

[newcam2012]

1 hour ago, Virgil said:

That's a decent sized contract, but something I still think Beane should have made happen.  DHop showed enough in his return from suspension that he still requires defenses to pay attention to him.  He was easily the best WR available this offseason and his impact on the Bills would most likely be more than any other player we drafted or signed.  

 

If we are truly in our win-now, Super Bowl window, this is the move you need to make to keep up with the rest of the AFC.  

Are we a bad team without him?  No.  Are we still contenders without him?  Yes.  But that's not the point.  The point is what is that move that gets us to the next level?  I'm sorry, but drafting Kincaid, another Edge, and extending Oliver is not anywhere near on the same level of impact as getting Dhop.  Upgrading our offensive line was a good start, but DHop would have made use much scarier on offense.  Let Davis go back to the slot.

 

Oh well

Really fantastic analysis. I concur 100%. When I heard the contract details I was perplexed at why Beane didn't get it done. 

 

Dhop should have been a priority pick up imho. Hard to understand why Beane didn't get it done. 

[newcam2012]

54 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

It's finally over.  I was having DHop fatigue.  The longer it went on the less my enthusiasm.  Started to look prima donna-ish, and news of poor practice habits didn't set well.

 

M Evans has become my top hope.  Should be able to get him after the Bills/Tampa game on 10/26 right before the 11/1 trade deadline.  Tampa should be about 2-5 at that point.  Should be able to acquire him at a more reasonable price.

I wouldn't hate getting Evans. However, you just don't know how the Evan's situation will evolve. 

 

Dhop was there for the taking at a reasonable price. Have to think he would have taken a little bit less to play with Buffalo. 

 

Seems like a missed opportunity. 

[Mike in Horseheads]

6 minutes ago, newcam2012 said:

I wouldn't hate getting Evans. However, you just don't know how the Evan's situation will evolve. 

 

Dhop was there for the taking at a reasonable price. Have to think he would have taken a little bit less to play with Buffalo. 

 

Seems like a missed opportunity. 

I frankly think he was looking for the most money like everyone else.

[newcam2012]

18 minutes ago, Mike in Horseheads said:

I frankly think he was looking for the most money like everyone else.

Probably so. Not my money but I think the price he got was fair. I'm sure Beane could have paid maybe a little less and offered him a three year contract. Got creative with incentives and such. Who knows maybe he did and it just wasn't meant to be. 

 

As a Bills fan, I feel slightly disappointed the Bills couldn't contend with what Tenn paid him. 

 

Bringing Dhop to Buffalo seemingly would have been a great acquisition. Obviously, Beane didn't pull the trigger which is somewhat disappointing. He has really emphasized upgrading the offense and Dhop certainly would have done that. I for one am not sold on the WRs core the Bills currently have. 

Edited July 17, 2023 by newcam2012

[Doc Brown]

1 hour ago, JaCrispy said:

Well, he got his money…hopefully that satisfies him enough to overcome the losing he’s about to experience…

Players that have been elite at a sport their whole life can convince themselves that they can elevate an average team to a Super Bowl and actually believe it.

1 hour ago, SCBills said:

Best case scenario, aside for us getting im on a team friendly deal. 
 

Jags looked to have a cakewalk to the division and no reason they can’t compete for the 1 seed.  At least now there’s a team with any level of ability in the AFC South that they have to face x2. 

Plus, it's not automatic wins for the AFC North teams or the Dolphins this year.

[BillsFanForever19]

1 hour ago, Einstein's Dog said:

It's finally over.  I was having DHop fatigue.  The longer it went on the less my enthusiasm.  Started to look prima donna-ish, and news of poor practice habits didn't set well.

 

M Evans has become my top hope.  Should be able to get him after the Bills/Tampa game on 10/26 right before the 11/1 trade deadline.  Tampa should be about 2-5 at that point.  Should be able to acquire him at a more reasonable price.

 

Mike Evans loves Tampa Bay and Tampa Bay loves Mike Evans. They're working on a Contract Extension now that both sides want to get done. I keep hearing people bringing him up but I don't think he's going anywhere.

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/mike-evans-bucs-working-toward-third-contract

[Dr. K]

Does Hopkins really have that much left in the tank? I suppose we'll find out, but I'm against paying for a player's reputation when he's on the downward side of his career. 

[Thurman#1]

2 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Sad but true.

 

 

Neither sad, nor true.

 

They did sign a DE. His contract was about half of what Floyd got. That's why they signed him instead of DHop.

 

What surprise, that DHop signed for a lot, somewhere else, for a team that's not especially contending for a Super Bowl. I myself am deeply shocked by what most knew would happen actually happening, for the obvious financial reasons.

 

 

[Punching Bag]

7 minutes ago, Thurman#1 said:

What surprise, that DHop signed for a lot, somewhere else, for a team that's not especially contending for a Super Bowl. I myself am deeply shocked by what most knew would happen actually happening, for the obvious financial reasons.

 

I think he should have signed with Bills for they have best training staff and facilities and he will need them a lot to be able to get to next contract.

[Thurman#1]

3 hours ago, Virgil said:

That's a decent sized contract, but something I still think Beane should have made happen.  DHop showed enough in his return from suspension that he still requires defenses to pay attention to him.  He was easily the best WR available this offseason and his impact on the Bills would most likely be more than any other player we drafted or signed.  

 

If we are truly in our win-now, Super Bowl window, this is the move you need to make to keep up with the rest of the AFC.  

Are we a bad team without him?  No.  Are we still contenders without him?  Yes.  But that's not the point.  The point is what is that move that gets us to the next level?  I'm sorry, but drafting Kincaid, another Edge, and extending Oliver is not anywhere near on the same level of impact as getting Dhop.  Upgrading our offensive line was a good start, but DHop would have made use much scarier on offense.  Let Davis go back to the slot.

 

Oh well

 

 

We're NOT in a "win-now Super Bowl window." This is simply not a team that believes in sacrificing the future for the present. And thank Goodness for that. We're in a Super Bowl window which has a good chance of lasting for many years .... if they don't go nut with their spending.

 

They are already $25M (OvertheCap.com) to $41M(Spotrac) OVER the cap for next year. Spending a lot of money is not, and should not be, a priority.

 

Folks are right that Hopkins is likely to be a very good player even if not what he used to be. But paying the money he got would have hurt us down the road. Significantly.

 

And the point is NOT what is the move that gets us to the next level. They've made it clear - right from the press conferences upon their being hired, but also every time when they've been asked since - that they want to be competitive every year. That's their goal. Whether it's yours or not. 

[Airseven]

33 minutes ago, Dr. K said:

Does Hopkins really have that much left in the tank? I suppose we'll find out, but I'm against paying for a player's reputation when he's on the downward side of his career. 

He has plenty left in the tank. The issues were money demands, reduced practice schedule demands, and leadership/locker room concerns. Still potentially a great signing for the Titans.

[Thurman#1]

1 minute ago, Limeaid said:

 

I think he should have signed with Bills for they have best training staff and facilities and he will need them a lot to be able to get to next contract.

 

 

Makes sense to me, but I think Hopkins was always likely to settle for very good rather than terrific facilities and $15M or so extra to find private care that would fill the gap,