ESPN predicts a realistic but underwhelming trade for Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins

NFL trade season is underway and the Tennessee Titans are one team that are at the center of the conversations.

With the Titans struggling to open the season under first-year head coach Brian Callahan, the veteran talent on the roster is understandably becoming an attractive commodity to those in contention.

Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who is playing on an expiring contract, is one player that seems likely to be traded. ESPN's Bill Barnwell came out with a series of predicted trade proposals for this year's deadline, including one realistic but underwhelming deal involving Hopkins.

"With the Titans having signed Calvin Ridley to be their primary wideout this offseason, Hopkins is likely to move on after the season. They have played Tyler Boyd and 2022 first-round draft pick Treylon Burks ahead of Hopkins this season, and moving the veteran would give Burks a full season to prove whether he's part of Tennessee's future," Barnwell wrote. 

While the Titans' usage of Hopkins has been puzzling, suggesting that he needs to be traded to afford Treylon Burks more opportunity is ridiculous. The Titans already have their answer on Burks. He's a former first-rounder with 34 receiving through five games. He's a non-factor. 

The long-term contract for Ridley seems like a much more likely factor, though. Hopkins is a veteran who wants to win. He's not going to get the chance to do that in Tennessee and he'd probably have a better role in a different offense at this point. The Titans are pot committed on Ridley being a primary weapon for their quarterback, whether that ends up being Will Levis or someone else.

With that in mind, Barnwell mocked Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a fifth-round pick.

"This might not feel like a massive return for a veteran wide out with Hopkins' history, but he didn't have a huge free agent market two seasons ago, is older now, is battling a knee issue and is owed meaningful money over the remainder of the year," wrote Barnwell.

This return won't get any Titans fans excited. Losing a star like hopkins for something as underwhelming as a fifth-round pick would be frustrating. But I think this is probably pretty close to being an accurate estimate of his value. For all the reasons Barnwell listed, Hopkins is not going to bring back a haul of picks at the deadline for Tennessee.

Because of that, the Titans may need to ask themselves if it's even worth it moving him.