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Houston Texans: Time to give DeAndre Hopkins a new deal

By Randy Gurzi

Oct 8, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) makes a catch against Indianapolis Colts safety Mike Adams (29) in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Hopkins was ruled out of the end zone on the play. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) makes a catch against Indianapolis Colts safety Mike Adams (29) in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Hopkins was ruled out of the end zone on the play. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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As wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins enters his fourth NFL season the time may be now for the Houston Texans to lock him down with a long-term contract

Recently the topic of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins contract was brought up by Tania Ganguli of ESPN. The Houston reporter said that while the team has exercised the option for a fifth year in his contract, the young receiver is already allowing the thought of his financial future to enter his mind.

"“I’m not looking for a certain range,” Hopkins said, during a break at a football camp for local children. “I just want to be treated for what I’m worth. That’s fair to say, right?”"

Fortunately it sounds as though Hopkins has no intentions of making things difficult on the Texans, and he is under contract through the 2017 season. However, he understands the precedent set by the organization.

Their 2011 first round pick was defensive end J.J. Watt and he inked a new deal during his fourth season. The same happened for 2012 first round pick outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus who signed his extension last season.

Now the 2013 first round pick Hopkins is in line and deserves a new deal. Following suit with extending players in their fourth year may prove fruitful for the Texans as well as the player.

As Ganguli pointed out, contracts for receivers as of late have not been out of this world. Receivers like Doug Baldwin of the Seahawks and Keenan Allen of the Chargers recently signed deals in the $11 million per season range. A.J. Green of the Bengals is the highest paid player with around $15 million.

Hopkins would most likely earn something much closer to the range Green earns, but that deal still is nothing like the mega-deal Calvin Johnson signed with the Detroit Lions back in 2012 when he got $60 million guaranteed. The overall deal was an eight year contract for $132 million.

must read: Houston Texans: Preseason depth chart projection

The market isn’t as tough on teams right now, so it would make sense for Houston to stay the course and lock up their star player early.

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