On a day when a lot of the nation was hunkered down at residence, the Arizona Cardinals took the Houston Texans to the cleaners.
In a deal extra one-sided than a Hollywood backlot, the Cardinals unloaded a costly operating again with manufacturing in decline for probably the greatest gamers within the NFL.
Arizona acquired All-Professional receiver DeAndre Hopkins, just lately voted by his friends the 11th greatest participant within the league, for operating again David Johnson, who within the final three seasons hasn’t come near the sturdy numbers he produced in 2016.
Although the transfer isn’t more likely to tip the stability of energy within the NFC West, it offers the up-and-coming Cardinals an elite playmaker on the opposite finish of Kyler Murray’s passes. Within the final three seasons, Hopkins has caught 315 passes for 4,115 yards and 31 touchdowns.
“His catch radius is ridiculous.  “There’s nothing else to be stated.”
Arizona outdoors linebacker Chandler Jones wasn’t understated in his Twitter response, however he was succinct: “BEST NEWS IN 2020!!!”
There have been draft picks concerned too. The Cardinals gave up a second-round decide this 12 months and a fourth-rounder in 2021, and received Houston’s fourth-round choice this 12 months.
Cardinals Texans Commerce Soccer
Sports activities
NFL gamers react to Texans sending DeAndre Hopkins to Cardinals in blockbuster commerce
March 16, 2020
The commerce can't be accomplished till the official begin of the league 12 months Wednesday at 1 p.m. PT.
The NFL started Monday by asserting the draft or a minimum of a scaled down model — is staying put and can happen in Las Vegas April 23 to 25, with out the followers and related festivities amid coronavirus issues.
The league has but to disclose particulars of what the draft may appear to be, though a person accustomed to the discussions stated everybody concerned with the manufacturing of the occasion, together with group representatives, prospects and media, must be examined for COVID-19 and cleared.
Of decreasing the size of the draft, Commissioner Roger Goodell stated: “This resolution displays our foremost precedence — the well being and security of all followers and residents. Whereas this end result is disappointing each to the NFL and to the Las Vegas neighborhood, we look ahead to partnering with the Raiders, the Metropolis of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Conference and Guests Authority for a future NFL Draft in addition to evaluating alternatives for different main NFL occasions in Las Vegas sooner or later, together with the Tremendous Bowl.”
The league additionally introduced that, following discussions with the NFL Gamers Assn. and session with medical employees, groups will delay indefinitely the beginning of their offseason packages.
Over the course of the following a number of weeks, the league’s high medical doctors in session with the Duke An infection Management Outreach Community and NFLPA advisors on infectious illness management will develop a set of protocols for groups relating to facility cleansing and upkeep, gear preparation, steps to determine gamers and employees who may be at increased threat, and different preventative measures.
Quickly after the morning announcement on the draft, groups had been in a full scramble to mark the beginning of the legal-tampering interval, the two-day runway earlier than free company formally will get underway. Across the nation, golf equipment dedicated tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to gamers, kicking up mud in a sports activities world in any other case crammed with tumbleweeds.
Whereas many groups used the franchise tag to carry on to a few of their greatest gamers — amongst them Dallas with quarterback Dak Prescott, Tennessee with working again Derrick Henry, Kansas Metropolis with defensive deal with Chris Jones, and Tampa Bay with outdoors linebacker Shaq Barrett — different massive names are heading to new cities.
Cleveland made former Atlanta standout Austin Hooper the highest-paid tight finish in NFL historical past, agreeing to a four-year deal reportedly price $10.5 million yearly.
San Francisco, which has invested a fortune in its defensive entrance, saved defensive finish Arik Armstead off the open market with a five-year deal reportedly price as a lot as $85 million, then agreed to ship defensive deal with DeForest Buckner to Indianapolis in a commerce.
Chicago agreed to a take care of tight finish Jimmy Graham, who was launched by Inexperienced Bay final week. Quarterback Case Keenum agreed to three-year take care of Cleveland that averages $6 million per season to be Baker Mayfield’s backup. Indianapolis is trying into signing former Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.