The thought of DeAndre Hopkins being paired with Lamar Jackson on the Baltimore Ravens was exactly that on Thursday: a thought.

But now, Hopkins is a free agent, and his next NFL home is up in the air. Could the All-Pro WR actually join Jackson in Baltimore?

Is Baltimore the Favorite To Land DeAndre Hopkins?

Various national betting sites have the Ravens high on the list of DHop’s landing spots.

DraftKings gave Baltimore +650 odds of luring in the five-time Pro Bowler. They’re behind the current favorite, the New York Jets, who were given +700 odds.

But another reason behind the idea of a Hopkins/Ravens linking is his recent comments on I AM ATHLETE.

MORE: Are the Arizona Cardinals Tanking in 2023?

“I love Lamar Jackson,” Hopkins said to hosts Brandon Marshall and Ashley Nicole Moss. “Lamar Jackson is one of my favorite athletes since I’ve been watching sports. I’ve been a fan of Lamar for a long time. I’d be lying to say if I didn’t say … it would be a honor [if my career allows me] to play with a great guy and great quarterback like Lamar.”

Those comments were made before the Cards officially parted ways with the All-Pro wideout. Now, Hopkins is free to sign elsewhere as a free agent — and that includes the Ravens.

How Hopkins Changes Complexion of Ravens Offense

Jackson having Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. on the same roster is something NFL fans would most likely see in the Pro Bowl. Now, the chances of landing Hopkins just increased for Baltimore.

The Ravens already made their first aggressive move in coaxing Jackson to stay by signing Beckham to a $15 million deal. But Baltimore has other speed elements in place with veteran Nelson Agholor and first-round draft selection Zay Flowers out of Boston College.

This is still a Ravens offense that doesn’t know who will be the official WR1. While Beckham has his history of being a dominant No. 1, he accepted a WR2 role with the Los Angeles Rams opposite of Cooper Kupp during his last NFL stop in 2021.

Plus, he’s coming back from his second ACL tear during Super Bowl 56, which prevented him from playing in 2022.

Agholor, meanwhile, has never been a lead target in all of his NFL stops. Flowers, as a rookie, has a strong chance to establish himself as Jackson’s top wideout as OBJ continues his recovery.

Hopkins, however, has a chance of becoming the top aerial focal point of the offense if brought over.

The 6’1 “, 202-pound WR would give Baltimore someone who can haul in contested targets with his impressive leaping ability. But he’s also stout after the catch, eluding defenders in the open field. While he’s attacked defenses deep, he’s proven to be a short-to-intermediate attacker over the years, especially when there’s an opening created by the other wide receivers drawing coverage matchups.

All that speed on the field can mean less bracket or double coverage for Hopkins, especially on plays where he’s lined up next to OBJ.

Dilemma With Baltimore Adding Hopkins Involves OBJ

Count Beckham as the reason why a Hopkins to Ravens deal comes with a dilemma.

Per Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer on Saturday, Beckham’s deal impacted a nullified trade involving DHop between both the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. Hopkins’ hefty contract, plus what OBJ was handed by the Ravens, were the reasons why the two teams shied away.

MORE: Analyzing the Ravens’ Best and Worst-Case Scenarios in 2023

With Hopkins projected in the $15 million range, similar to OBJ, it would put the Ravens in the red for their salary cap. Following Jackson’s blockbuster $260 million deal and the Beckham addition, Baltimore now sits at $11,757,827 in 2023 salary cap space, according to Over the Cap.

Hopkins and the Ravens would have to find a way to work with a more workable deal that’s miraculously below $10 million if both parties were to link. But with two AFC contenders, the Chiefs and Bills, having their trade idea blow up, the Ravens can attempt to swoop up Hopkins and increase a new kind of odds before the season — their odds of hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

The Arizona Cardinals are taking a gap year. They have a new coaching staff, a new front office, and a quarterback coming off a serious injury with a roster that can’t compete for double-digit wins in 2023. Cutting DeAndre Hopkins before June 1 puts the entire cap burden on a single season, which will accelerate the retooling process. But what other players could find themselves being a casualty of salary cap circumstances?

June 1 Cut/Trade Candidates

John Johnson, Ezekiel Elliott, and Byron Jones have all been designated as June 1 cuts already. Last season, only Rashaad Coward and Sharif Finch were released in the week following June 1. Allowing for the designation means most of the work is done prior to the date.

And in the end, teams don’t use the post-June 1 cut designation as much as one would think. Harrison Smith would have been a prime candidate for the Vikings, who have offloaded a few elder statesmen this offseason, but Smith agreed to a restructured deal. However, his teammate may not be so lucky.

Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

After it seemed Dalvin Cook was an inevitable cut after June 1, that may not be the case after all. The running back market has all but dried up. Teams aren’t willing to spend top dollar to keep their own runners around, let alone pay one coming off a few underwhelming seasons due to chronic shoulder issues (which Cook had surgery for this offseason.)

It’s also important to note that Austin Ekeler, who, relative to the rest of the RB landscape, was grossly underpaid, reworked his deal to remain a Charger for the 2023 NFL season after initially requesting a trade.

“When it comes down to what’s going on with the whole trade and all that stuff, really, look, we’re trying to find a long-term partner,” Ekeler explained. “That’s what we want. We want someone who wants to sign us for a few years and sees us not just in the immediate future but a couple years out.”

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Ekeler has been healthy and productive for years now, boasting league-leading touchdown numbers over the past two seasons as a threat not just on the ground but also as one of Los Angeles’ main pass catchers.

Even after a 13-win season in 2022, Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is firmly looking at the big picture and not simply looking to repeat as division champions in 2023. He wants to build a long-term contender, and he’s handling the cap situation as such.

“It’s positional value, it’s value in the locker room, it’s relative replacements,” Adofo-Mensah said of the things they will consider with veterans.

“It’s easy to say, ‘We don’t want this player,’ but what else do you have in your building? You can guess, and I think that’s where you can get yourself into problems in this job is thinking you will be certain on something — the draft or even free agency at that, there is risk involved. You always just want to weigh those things carefully, and it’s tough.”

Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

There’s a bit of a pattern here. NFL teams are beginning to side with the nerds, who believe that running back is no longer valuable enough to warrant a significant allocation of resources.

In an offense that lives in the shotgun, plays spread out, and often goes five wide, saving $10 million against the cap by cutting or trading Joe Mixon feels like a no-brainer for the Cincinnati Bengals. But trading him would seem practically impossible considering his position, salary, and off-the-field question marks.

Additionally, the Bengals aren’t the most frivolous team in the NFL, and they’re about to have massive decisions to make regarding the futures of Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, and Ja’Marr Chase.

Kevin Byard, S, Tennessee Titans

Reports indicate that Kevin Byard won’t take a pay cut despite the Tennessee Titans desiring one. Although the Titans’ roster doesn’t resemble a realistic contender, any immediate monetary relief would be met with criticism because of the cultural impact.

“Byard has wanted to play for one organization and ultimately retire as a Titan, but the two sides are at a crossroads, per sources,” ESPN Insider Adam Schefter tweeted on March 17.

Although GM Ran Carthon is the new decision-maker on the block and likely wants to speed up the rebuilding process as much as possible, cutting Byard makes no sense, and a trade is unlikely.

Patrick Mekari, OL, Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens are in a decent spot with their cap, and there is never, ever enough offensive line depth on teams. However, if the Ravens want to save $4 million against the cap in 2023 they could do so by releasing Patrick Mekari.

His experience at every position on the offensive line makes him valuable, but the Ravens have a surprising amount of depth on the offensive line heading into the next campaign.

Quez Watkins, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Maybe the expectations for Quez Watkins were a bit too high heading into 2022 after a strong season in 2021, but he struggled enough for the Philadelphia Eagles to feel they needed a potential replacement for the receiver in the offseason. They signed Olamide Zaccheaus to a multi-year deal to play in the slot.

MORE: Are the Philadelphia Eagles a Top-3 Offense Heading Into 2023?

Cutting Watkins would save the Eagles $2.7 million against the cap.

Explaining How Pre- and Post-June 1 Cuts Work

June 1 is so crucial in the NFL because of the impact that cutting a player after that date changes as it relates to the salary cap. Before June 1, any remaining prorated money on the player’s contract accelerates onto the cap in the year they are cut or traded. That changes after June 1, however.

If a player is released or traded after June 1, no further prorated money accelerates onto the cap. Instead, that money accelerates onto the following year’s cap.

For example, take a player who has four years remaining on his deal and $2.5 million in prorated money in each of those years. If his NFL team cuts him before June 1, 2022, his cap number in 2022 would be $10 million. Alternatively, if the team releases him on June 2, his cap number in 2022 would then be $2.5 million. The remaining $7.5 million impacts the 2023 salary cap. — Ben Rolfe, PFN’s Managing Editor

The Dallas Cowboys draft well, particularly in the first round of the NFL Draft. Dating back to 2010, there are only two misses on the leger. The second thing the Jones family does well is take care of their home-grown talent. Of the nine Cowboys first-round picks since 2010 who have received second contracts in the NFL, six have gotten second contracts with the Dallas Cowboys.

Where does that leave CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons? Sure, Trevon Diggs was a second-round pick, but he was also an All-Pro in his second season while leading the NFL in interceptions that year. And then there’s the looming Dak Prescott extension.

The first question is, can they get all those deals done? The second question, which is more complex, is whether they should do it.

Can the Dallas Cowboys Pay All Their Stars?

Yes, the Cowboys can pay anybody they bloody want to. The NFL salary cap isn’t a myth, it’s just incredibly easy to manipulate it to suit a team’s cap needs. Cowboys COO Stephen Jones agrees.

“That group, we feel really good about,” Jones said of that foursome. “I feel like as we move forward, it’ll all be about timing, but we feel good that we can work within the parameters of the cap and make those types of things happen.”

Usually, the Cowboys brass would rather play hardball through the media and discuss the trials and tribulations of maneuvering around the salary cap. “At the end of the day” is embedded in the brains of every Cowboys fan when listening to the COO speak about the salary cap.

Trevon Diggs’ contractual situation is the most urgent. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb have two seasons left on their current deals. Micah Parsons has three years left on his current deal (including the fifth-year option), but he’ll be extension-eligible next offseason.

“I think it’s doable; it’s just part of managing the football team and part of managing the salary cap,” Jones said to reporters. “I think it’s helpful to know what the situation is gonna look like.”

The cap increased by $16 million between 2022 and 2023, and the salary cap isn’t going anywhere but sharply up in the future, either. The NFL’s $113 billion, with a b, television rights deal, will make sure of that. That deal begins its life in 2023 and will cause an explosion in the NFL’s salary cap.

Paying Trevon Diggs

If there were a player among the group that Dallas would choose not to extend, it would probably be Diggs. However, the cornerback opposite him currently is 32, and there are no viable No. 1 options anywhere else on the team. DaRon Bland shined as a rookie in the slot, but the Cowboys need far more than that to remain at the top of defensive efficiency rankings.

Although Diggs struggled to reproduce his ball production from the year before, one could argue that he played a more consistent brand of football in 2022. The 11 INT season made him an All-Pro. Still, he also played injured during the middle part of the season and took risks that his body couldn’t recover from in coverage, which led to too many big plays against the cornerback.

In 2022, he missed out on quite a few turnover opportunities that one would expect the ball-hawking CB to make, but he was far more structurally sound in coverage. The risks he took were more calculated, and when he did get beat by double moves, they were well-earned and set up offensively.

MORE: Are the Dallas Cowboys a Top-10 Offense Heading Into 2023?

CB play can be finicky. Dan Quinn will almost certainly not continue passing on head-coaching opportunities forever. Changing the scheme likely won’t affect the play of the defensive line too much — the bigger change would come on the back end. And while potentially playing in a more zone-heavy scheme could benefit Diggs, the off-man Cover 1 Quinn deploys allows Diggs to use his aggression to the max situationally.

Being only 25 also helps his case. He should realistically remain in his athletic prime throughout the entirety of a second contract, which is very important at his position, specifically.

The highest CB contract currently sits at $21 million APY (Jaire Alexander). Denzel Ward leads in fully guaranteed money ($44.5 million) and total guarantees (71.25 million). According to Over the Cap, Ward will never cost the Browns a double-digit percentage of their salary cap at any point through 2027.

Demarcus Lawrence and Amari Cooper both accounted for over 10% of the Cowboys’ 2021 cap. A Diggs extension will likely look similar because of the ever-increasing cap. He’s well worth the asking price.

Paying CeeDee Lamb

There are currently eight wide receivers making more on average than Alexander, the highest-paid CB. Receiver production is far more sticky from year-to-year than cornerback production.

And in an offseason where the highest-paid wide receiver in free agency came in at $15 million and no other pass catcher made more than $11 annually, it could be time to negotiate Lamb’s deal now.

In fact, it would behoove the Cowboys to try and get Lamb’s deal done now, because waiting another season could be costly. A Tee Higgins extension raises the price of admission. Justin Jefferson will likely become the league’s highest-paid pass catcher when he inks his extension.

And that’s not the only reason the Cowboys should try to be proactive with his deal (and most deals). Lamb has increased his production and efficiency in each successive season.

A full 17-game season with a healthy Prescott could have devasting consequences for the Cowboys’ cap. If he has a 1,600-yard season, a deal may not get done until after the franchise tag has been used in that instance because he will have all of the leverage by that point.

Paying Micah Parsons

Yes.

Seriously, that’s it. It doesn’t matter what it may cost. Parsons should and likely will be a Cowboy for life. Heck, he may end up being a Cowboy longer than Prescott at this point. Do it as fast as possible. Give him and David Mulugheta (Parsons’ agent) whatever they ask for, because waiting for a bargaining chip is a fool’s errand here.

Paying Dak Prescott

If things were different in the NFC, there could be an argument made that Dallas should do what it can to find Prescott’s replacement in the NFL Draft. If Dallas had to deal with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, and Lamar Jackson, maybe swinging for the upside fence would be a better argument.

But they are not, and one could argue Prescott is the best quarterback in the entire conference, depending on how one stacks him and Jalen Hurts alongside one another.

With a nearly $60 million cap hit in 2024, Dallas simply cannot afford not to extend Prescott after 2023. And they’ve already used Prescott’s contract to move money around for other players because they planned on extending him the whole time.

The Cowboys love “winning the deal.” Well, they got absolutely molly-whopped by Todd France (Prescott’s agent) in their last go-round.

• No-tag clause
• No-trade clause
• $95 million at signing (most ever at the time)

MORE: Dak Prescott: The NFC’s Best Quarterback and a Top-5 NFL QB at His Best

Dallas will almost certainly want to extend the life of the deal over a five-year period, while Prescott’s team likely wants a three-year deal to get him another lucrative deal at 33.

And after Jerry’s comments at the NFL Combine, it seems like they’ve softened their hardball stance on contracts. Likening Prescott to Tom Brady is something they would have never done the first time around when they regularly negotiated through the media.

“I think just as (Tom) Brady became, in my mind, better and better and more impactful on how they won as he got into his career, I think Dak (Prescott) really has those qualities. I think he can get better.”

There hasn’t been much of that from the Jones family recently. And that is as clear an indication as any that teams will be able to pay players very easily over the next few years while the market catches up with the exploding cap.