The sent shockwaves through the last month by trading wide receiver and a 2020 fourth-round pick to the in exchange for running back , a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick. Hopkins wasn't surprised by the trade. The four-time All-Pro told Sports Illustrated he didn't have a relationship with Texans head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien. Part of O'Brien's justification for trading DeAndre Hopkins was he wanted his contract addre sed.The Texans gave Hopkins a five-year, $81 million contract extension in 2017. At $16.2 million per year, the deal made Hopkins the NFL's second-highest-paid wide receiver behind , who signed a four-year, $68 million extension averaging $17 million per year a few months earlier Brian Elliott Jersey . Hopkins' $49 million in guarantees and $36.5 million fully guaranteed at signing became the benchmarks for wide receivers. He is currently tied with , who was recently acquired by the Texans from the in a trade, as the league's seventh-highest-paid wide receiver by average yearly salary.Hopkins has three years left on this deal worth $39.915 million. He is scheduled to make $12.5 million this year, $13.5 million in 2021 and $13.915 million in 2022. None of Hopkins' money is guaranteed.The Cardinals have no problems renegotiating Hopkins' contract despite the three remaining years. Negotiations with Hopkins' agent, CAA Sports' Todd France, have already begun. Based on recent history, there are two routes that the Cardinals could take with Hopkins.The Antonio Brown ApproachWide receiver Antonio Brown's implosion last year has overshadowed his football exploits. He was recently named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2010s All-Decade Team. Last offseason before the implosion, the traded Brown to the for 2019 third and fifth-round picks. As a part of the trade, Brown got an upgraded contract. He received an $11.2 million raise over the three remaining years of his extension to bring his total compensation during this span to $50.125 million. The maximum value was $54.125 million because of $4 million in incentives. None of the $38.925 million in Brown's contract prior to the trade was secure.Brown's adjusted contract had $30.125 million fully guaranteed. The Raiders voided Brown's guarantees for breaching his contract and released him a day before Oakland's first regular season game. He never played a down of football for the Raiders. The grievance Brown filed against the Raiders regarding the guarantees is expected to be heard next month.Taking a cue from the Raiders, the Cardinals could try to Jori Lehtera Kids Jersey placate Hopkins by adding anywhere from $11 million to $15 million over the remaining years of his existing contract. Hopkins' three-year compensation under this approach would be $50.915 million to $54.915 million. For example, Hopkins' 2020 through 2022 salaries could Scott Laughton Men Jersey increase to $17 million, $18 million and $18.415 million where the additional $13.5 million is spread out evenly over the existing years. Brown's first two years, 2019 and 2020, were fully guaranteed in his adjustment. Doing the same with Hopkins would give him $35 million of security.Since the Cardinals have a little le s than $9 million of salary cap space according to NFLPA data, it would probably make more sense for Hopkins' raise to be a signing bonus where his $12.5 million 2020 base salary is lowered in the proce s instead. Dropping Hopkins' base salary to his $1.05 million league minimum salary while giving him a $21 million signing would give the Cardinals $4.45 million of immediate cap relief.There would be additional 2020 cap savings by inserting one or two voiding contracts years. The signing bonus would get prorated through 2023 or 2024 depending on whether one or both voiding years were included in the contract. With two voiding years, the 2020 cap savings would be $7.25 million since the annual signing bonus proration becomes $4.2 million rather than $7 million without them.Voiding contract years aren't a foreign concept to the Cardinals. The three-year extension quarterback signed in 2014 contained a voidable 2018 contract year. Voiding years were also utilized with wide receiver in 2015 and 2016 renegotiations.A Conventional Contract ExtensionAnother option for the Cardinals is to extend Hopkins' contract. The extension wide receiver signed last September would likely be an important data point to France.Jones re-setting the wide receiver market was expected. A three-year extension averaging $22 million per year containing $64 million fully guaranteed when Jones had two years left on the contract wasn't.Jones' contract has an extremely player-friendly structure. He practically doubled the compensation in the remaining two years of his previous contract with the current extension after bonus deferrals are taken into account. Jones is making $39.7 million through 2020 when he had $21.026 million of money in the final two years of his old deal. He will have earned slightly over 65 percent of the new money in the extension by the end of the first new contract year of 2021. That's an unheard of percentage. Typically on a three-year extension, the percentage of the new money a player will earn by the end of the second new contract year is the high 60s or low 70s.Adding two contract years would put Hopkins under contract with the Cardinals through the 2024 season. Hopkins would be 32 years old when his contract expired. The time under contract, five years, would mirror the length of Jones' contract. Jones is scheduled to Carter Hart Men Jersey make $87.026 million over the five years of his contract with great cash flow. Surprisingly, Jones has a $3 million base salary escalator in each of the last two years of his contract (2022 and 2023) based on his performance in preceding seasons which can bring his five year total to $93.026 million.Even if the Cardinals were to come close to matching Jones' overall dollars for the five years, Hopkins shouldn't expect similar cash flow. Bringing Hopkins' five-year compensation to $84.915 million would e sentially be a two-year extension averaging $22.5 million per year since he is currently under contract through the Bill Barber Men Jersey 2022 season for $39.915 million. At $22.5 million per year, Hopkins would replace Jones as the NFL's highest-paid wide receiver by average yearly salary and tie Rams All-Pro interior defensive lineman as the league's second-highest-paid non-quarterback.This could be accomplished by giving Hopkins a $20 million signing bonus where his 2020 base salary is lowered to $1.915 million. Hopkins' 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 base salaries could be $14.5 million, $15.5 million, $16 million and $17 million respectively.The 2020 and 2021 base salaries would be fully guaranteed. Hopkins' $15.5 million 2022 base salary would be guaranteed for injury when the extension was signed and become fully guaranteed next March on the third day of the 2021 league year. He would have $51.915 million of total guarantees where $36.415 millio