Can Cowboys afford DeAndre Hopkins? Why cutting Ezekiel Elliott’s salary may not be enough for Dallas
DeAndre Hopkins was recently released by the Arizona Cardinals in one of the most shocking moves of the 2023 NFL offseason so far.
The superstar wide receiver is officially an unrestricted free agent and can join any team that offers him a new contract. He leads the entire NFL in receptions over the last decade, so he should have a relatively large market of interested teams.
The Dallas Cowboys are one of the teams that have been rumored to be interested in DeAndre Hopkins. They are currently estimated to have more than $24 million in available cap space (according to Spotrac) and have already shown a willingness to mix up their offensive roster this season.
Most notably, they released superstar Ezekiel Elliott earlier in the offseason. Releasing Elliott created an additional $10.9 million in available cap space, nearly doubling their total.
The move potentially gives the Cowboys enough cap space to sign DeAndre Hopkins if they choose to do so. While the wide receiver was scheduled to make more than $27 million for the 2023 NFL season with the Cardinals, his release will likely require him to take a pay cut with a new team.
Odell Beckham Jr. is the most recent veteran star wide receiver to receive a new contract. His deal is worth up to $18 million for one season with the Baltimore Ravens. The Cowboys could elect to go a similar route with Hopkins by offering him somewhere in the range of $20 million for one season.
Elliott's release certainly helps the Cowboys make a player like Hopkins affordable, but it's probably not quite enough on its own. Some of their cap space will need to be used on other factors such as practice squad call-ups, player incentives, roster bonuses, and various other contractual settlements. This makes their current cap availability a bit of a misleading number.
The good news for the Cowboys is that they have plenty of players who they could potentially offer contract extensions, or simply restructure their current deals. These are two of the most logical ways to create additional cap space. Adding years and converting salaries to bonuses are two reliable ways to decrease a player's cap hit in any given season.
Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons are among the players who potentially qualify for this situation.
All are likely expected to receive contract extensions at some point in the near future, so if the Cowboys want DeAndre Hopkins this year, they could elect to do so now. While it may take some financial maneuvering, the door is open for the Cowboys to add another star.
DeAndre Hopkins could be the splash move the Cowboys have yet to make this year
The Dallas Cowboys have made major changes to their offensive skill positions during the 2023 NFL offseason.
They moved on from Ezekiel Elliott, Dalton Schultz, and Noah Brown. They replaced them with Brandin Cooks, Luke Schoonmaker, Ronald Jones, and Deuce Vaughn.
It's unclear at this point if the Cowboys upgraded their offensive roster or simply moved somewhat laterally.
One way they can make sure they enter this season with a stronger cast of playmakers is by adding DeAndre Hopkins. He could potentially be the splash move they need to elevate themselves from an annual playoff team to a legitimate Super Bowl contender.