(corrected re-post changing title, adding
an RB I neglected to include on the pre-
vious post, Kareem Hunt, & adding 2
more top RB free agents the Cowboys
may re-sign-Zeke Elliott or sign-Leonard
Fournette)

Many teams think DeAndre Hopkins is at
the top, articles galore on teams purported
to be interested in signing him. How much
will he cost & how much does he have left
in the tank (turns 31 on June 6)? Rumors
are he wants a 2023 salary of at least $15 ...

.... mil & in an article about possible Cow-
boys interest, an APY (Average Per Year)
contract of $20 mil was mentioned, the
article claiming that places the Cowboys
out of the Hopkins ballpark:
https://www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/news/dallas-cowboys-signing-best-fit-deandre-hopkins-contract-free-agent

“My gut tells me that Dallas does not view
Hopkins as ‘the player’ worthy of getting a
new $20 million APY contract that would
also mean upsetting the future ‘salary-cap
apple cart.”

.... The Cowboys have a mapped-out plan to
contractually retain Dak Prescott, CeeDee
Lamb, Micah Parsons, & Trevon Diggs - &
.... the Cowboys will be reluctant to break up
that plan because of the future cap pain [the
signing of DeAndre Hopkins would cause].

~~~

WR DeAndre Hopkins career page
27th pick in 2013 draft
turns 31 on June 6
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HopkDe00.htm
Best years? 2014-2015 & 2017-2020, PFR
AV in those years averaged 11.17. Down
years? 2013, 2016, 2021-2022. Missed 15
of 34 games last 2 years (44.1% due to
suspension, injury, & deciding to not play
in last 2 2022 games)

For comparison to DeAndre's PFR AV in
his best 6 years, 11.17, CeeDee Lamb's
PFR AV last year was 14, he's 24 all sea-
son long, Michael Gallup's PFR AV in his
best year, 2019, was 9, he's 27 all season
long, & Brandin Cook's PFR AV in his ...

.... best years, 2016-2018, averaged 12.33,
he turns 30 September 25th.

~~~

4 more available free agents per
https://lwosports.com/2023/05/29/61280nfl-free-agents/

DE Frank Clark career page
63rd pick in 2015 draft
turns 30 on June 14
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/ClarFr01.htm
Best years? 2018-2021, PFR AV in those
years? 9.5. Down years? In 2016 he was
given a low PFR AV for having only 5 starts,
but he has 10 sacks, 18 QB hits, & a career
high tackles with 47, & in 2017 he did almost
as well, so I'm tempted to doubt his low PFR ...

.... AVs in those 2 years. His low PFR AVs in
2015 & 2022 caused by low sack totals.

~~~

CB Marcus Peters career page
18th pick in 2015 draft
Age 30 'til Jan 9 2024
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PeteMa00.htm
Best years? 2015-2016 & 2019, PFR AV in those
years? 14. Down years? 2018 & 2022, PFR AV
average 5.5, his lowest interception totals, 3 & 1.
He missed all of 2021 due to injury.

~~~

Edge Yannick Ngakoue
69th pick in 2016 draft
Age 28 all season long
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/NgakYa00.htm
8 or more sacks in all 7 seasons. In 6 best PFR
AV seasons, average PFR AV = 8.17, in his best
season he had 12 sacks & PFR AV 12. Lowest
PFR AV was in 2020 when he only started in 8
games. Has only missed 5 games in 7 seasons.

~~~

RB Kareem Hunt
86th pick in 2017 draft
Turns 28 on August 6th
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HuntKa00.htm
Hot in rookie season, PFR AV 15, 2 more good
seasons, 2018 & 2020, average PFR AV for those
3 seasons = 11.7. 3 off years: 2019,2021,2022.

~~~

2 more running backs Cowboys may (or may
not) be interested in:

RB Zeke Elliott
4th pick in 2016 draft
Turns 28 July 22nd
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/E/ElliEz00.htm
Has had trouble being signed by any team after
he was cut. PFR AV average in 1st 4 seasons
was 12.75. Lowest yardage in 2022 but still had
12 TDs.

RB Leonard Fournette
4th pick in 2017 draft
Turns 29 Jan 18 2024
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FourLe00.htm
3 best seasons: 2017,2019,2021 PFR AV average
of 9. 3 off years: 2018,2020,2022.

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