Alright, let’s talk about something I spent a good chunk of time wrestling with recently: trying to figure out who to value more between Marquise Brown and DeAndre Hopkins, especially thinking about the Arizona Cardinals setup.
So, I started by just looking at the raw situation. Both guys are on the same team, which usually makes things tricky. You gotta figure out who’s getting the targets, right?
My First Steps: Looking Back
I first pulled up their numbers from last season. Hopkins, obviously, missed a chunk of games due to suspension. When he came back, man, Kyler Murray looked his way a ton. He was the go-to guy, no doubt. You could just see it watching the games I caught.
Then there’s Hollywood Brown. He came over in that trade, got hurt, and had Murray get hurt too. It was kind of a messy year for him getting settled. He showed flashes, definitely. That speed is real. But it wasn’t consistent.
Thinking About Roles
My next step was thinking about how they’re actually used. It’s pretty different:
- Hopkins: He’s your classic possession receiver, strong hands, runs great routes, wins contested catches. The reliable guy.
- Brown: He’s the speedster, the deep threat, the guy who can take the top off the defense. More boom-or-bust sometimes.
So, who does the offense favour? Or maybe, who does the QB situation favour? That was the big question mark I kept hitting.
The Quarterback Problem
This was the real headache. With Kyler Murray recovering from that big injury, who’s throwing the ball for a good part of the season? Colt McCoy? A rookie? That changes everything. A backup QB might lean on the reliable veteran like Hopkins for easier throws. Getting those deep shots consistently to Brown might be tough without Murray’s arm talent back there.
I spent some time thinking about this. If the QB play is shaky, maybe Hopkins’ steady role is safer, even if he doesn’t have those massive 150-yard games as often anymore.
Age and Future
Couldn’t ignore the age factor. Hopkins isn’t old-old, but he’s definitely got more miles on him than Brown. Brown is still young, theoretically entering his prime. Does the team see Brown as the future and start shifting focus? Or do they ride the established star in Hopkins while they have him?
My Conclusion (For Now)
After going back and forth, watching some clips again, and thinking about that QB situation, I landed here: Early in the season, especially with Murray out, I felt Hopkins was probably the slightly safer bet. Just felt like his role, his rapport (even with backups), and his style of play fit better with potentially shaky QB performance. He’s likely to get targets underneath and be a security blanket.
But, it’s close. If Murray comes back sooner than expected and looks like his old self, Brown’s value skyrockets because of that deep-play ability. And long-term, you gotta like Brown’s youth.
So, yeah, that was my process. Didn’t use any fancy analytics, just watched, thought about the situation, and went with my gut based on experience watching these guys and how offenses tend to work with QB issues. It’s not a perfect science, just how I worked through it.
