Thursday open thread: Should the Lions inquire about DeAndre Hopkins?

The Detroit Lions had a surprisingly productive offense this season, and the future only looks brighter. The resurgence of Jared Goff and the dependability of Jamaal Williams really put the team over the top behind strong offensive line play, and the offense still functioned well without really having Jameson Williams and with the midseason trade of T.J. Hockenson.

Teams in the NFL cannot be complacent, though, and there is certainly room in this offense for growth. One thing this team does not currently have is a dominant X receiver, and there happens to be one on the market:

DeAndre Hopkins is approaching 31 years of age and has a pretty substantial contract, but there is no denying he would elevate the Lions offense. If Brad Holmes wants to get this team to the next level, it will need to keep adding talent however it can.

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Should the Lions inquire about DeAndre Hopkins?

My answer: There is no denying that Hopkins is a dynamic playmaker who has performed in all sorts of situations (bad teams, bad quarterbacks) and offers something different to the offense. He would be a great compliment to Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown and give Goff all the weapons he could possibly need to have a top-tier passing attack.

The challenge, of course, is the cost — in both senses. Hopkins would take up a significant portion of the salary cap (nearly $20 million), though it helps that the other two starting receivers are on rookie contracts. The Lions do have some cap space available, but the needs are much greater in many other positions.

The other factor is the Cardinals’ asking price. Arizona essentially traded David Johnson and a second-round pick for Hopkins, so it can be assumed the cost would be at least a Day Two pick as the base. While Detroit has plenty of draft capital, again there are other positions that Holmes is likely prioritizing, and he would benefit by about 10 years by doing so via the draft.

Still, I think the possibility of acquiring Hopkins should at least be explored. If Goff is the answer at quarterback, then the Lions should give him a final weapon to work with and continue to feature one of the league’s best offenses. While it stings to give up cap space and draft capital, there would be no better way to show this team is for real than to make a big win-now move to kick off the offseason.

Your turn.