Steve Keim Says DeAndre Hopkins Can Take Cardinals 'To the Next Level'

DeAndre Hopkins has officially been traded to the Arizona Cardinals after the deal was finalized Wednesday and the team is excited about the new addition.

"To be able to get a player of his caliber and to add to the weapons that we already possess, I feel like he can certainly take us to the next level," Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.

Keim also added Arizona was "really high" on Hopkins while making a deal that sent running back David Johnson to the Houston Texans along with a second-round pick this year and a fourth-round pick in 2021. The Cardinals also received a fourth-round pick for the 2020 draft.

The addition is a significant one considering Hopkins' production in recent seasons.

The 27-year-old has been named first-team All-Pro in each of the last three years, totaling 315 catches for 4,115 yards and 31 touchdowns in this stretch.

He was relatively quiet in 2019 but still ranked third in the NFL with 104 receptions behind only Michael Thomas and Christian McCaffrey. 

This could make him a big addition for a Cardinals squad that showed promise under rookie quarterback Kyler Murray but still ranked 21st in the NFL in total offense on the way to a 5-10-1 season.

If Murray continues to improve in year two, he could thrive with a passing attack that includes Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk among others.

The emergence of running back Kenyan Drake, who received a transition tag this offseason, also made Johnson expendable within the offense.

It could make Arizona an exciting team going into 2020.