Former Arizona Cardinals All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins is now a free agent, and though the veteran is about to turn 31, he’s expected to have several suitors. The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are considered to be two of the favorites to land Hopkins, but the Cleveland Browns could be a dark horse in this race.
Hopkins’ former quarterback, Deshaun Watson, of course signed a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract with the Browns last offseason. Could Cleveland make a move for the wideout? That’s what head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked by reporters on Tuesday.
“I really, really like our wide receiver room,” Stefanski said, via Cleveland.com. “I love the guys that are in there. Andrew (Berry) and his crew are always looking at every avenue and that type of thing , so I won’t comment specifically on the player other than to say that I really like our roster.”
Watson told reporters “of course” he would love to have Hopkins in Cleveland, per 247Sports, but echoed what Stefanski said in saying it was up to the Browns’ front office.
Watson reflected on his long friendship with Hopkins, which started well before his professional days.
“Well, me and D-Hop, we just naturally talk,” Watson said (per the Orange and Brown Report). “We been talking since the Houston days. And then also whenever he left for Arizona, we were always talking, so he’s always been a brother of mine since I was coming out of high school. Our connection, our relationship has always been great.”
Watson said DHop is well aware that the Browns would love to add him to their roster, but getting him there is far beyond the quarterback’s pay grade.
“I know there’s a lot of things swirling around in the media of him possibly coming to Cleveland,” Watson said. “For me, my answer to that is of course we would love to have him. He knows that. We had a lot of connections. But that’s kind of out…
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