Deshaun Watson 'would love to have' former Texans teammate DeAndre Hopkins with Browns

ROCKY RIVER — Deshaun Watson isn't going to shy away from the talk. If it was up to the Browns quarterback, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins would've been in Cleveland within moments of the Arizona Cardinals having made it known they were going to be releasing him.

"I know there's a lot of things swirling around in the media of him possibly coming to Cleveland," Watson sad Tuesday at the Cleveland Browns charity golf outing at Westwood Country Club. "And for me, my answer to that is of course we would love to have him. He knows that. We had a lot of connections, but that's kind of out of my range of things, of kind of coordinating things. So all I can do is make a call and see what happens and let (general manager Andrew Berry) do the rest."

The Cardinals released Hopkins on Friday, eating the $31 million remaining on his contract. The move was the final stage of a process that started earlier in the offseason when Arizona went about fielding calls, but finding no takers, for the All-Pro receiver.

Deshaun Watson comfortable in year two: Kevin Stefanski says QB Deshaun Watson 'right where he needs to be' for Cleveland Browns

Hopkins' connection with Watson goes back to their time together with the Houston Texans from 2017-19. The two Clemson University products formed a lethal combination over Watson's first three seasons in the league, combining for 264 completions on 487 targets for 3,343 yards and 25 touchdowns.

"Me and D-Hop, we just naturally talk," Watson said. "We've been talking since the Houston days and then also whenever he left for Arizona, we were always talking. He's always been a brother of mine since how I was coming out of high school. Our connection, our relationship, has always been great."

Hopkins went on the "I AM ATHLETE" podcast last week and outlined what he's looking for in his new landing spot. That included stable management, a great defense and a quarterback who "who loves the game, a QB who brings everybody on board with him and pushes not just himself but everybody around him."

Browns management has spent both money and draft picks to improve both the team's defense and the weapons around Watson so that he can return to his own Pro Bowl form. All of that, management hopes, is enough to help win games so they can maintain their own jobs beyond this season.

"I'll just say this — D Hop, DeAndre Hopkins, would love to be in a place where the opportunity is there for us to win," Watson said. "Like you said, we check all those boxes. I think for us to know and make sure we check all those boxes on the national stage, we got to go out there and prove it, and I think D-Hop would love to be a part of that and proving people wrong."

Watson said he hasn't heard any kind of timetable from his former teammate in terms of when a decision could be coming down. According to reports, the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills have been among the early suitors for Hopkins' services.

The quarterback also downplayed any conversations he may or may not have had already with Berry about bringing Hopkins in as another addition to the receivers room.

"Nah, I didn't have to do that just because I think everyone around the league knows exactly how our relationship was and how it is, and when we get on the field together with the stats, it speaks for itself," Watson said. "So everyone knows how talented D-Hop is and how he can help this team whenever the opportunity comes."

The Browns certainly have invested to put weapons around Watson this season, including a trade for receiver Elijah Moore and signing receiver Marquise Goodwin and tight end — and former Watson teammate in Houston — Jordan Akins in free agency. They also used their first draft pick, No. 74 overall in the third round, on University of Tennessee receiver Cedric Tillman.

They join a receiving corps that also includes holdovers Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, David Bell and Anthony Schwartz. Is it possible to have too many players at one position?

"Probably not," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. "I don't think you have too many of anything, honestly. (Former Minnesota Vikings coach Mike) Zimmer used to say you can't have enough corners, so you always want as many good players, but it's got to be the right fit and all those type of things."

The three seasons the quarterback and receiver were together in Houston coincided with the three times Hopkins earned an Associated Press All-Pro first-team selection. The Texans also qualified for the playoffs in 2018 and 2019, with Watson completing 20 passes for 245 yards over three playoff games.

Watson earned the first of back-to-back Pro Bowl bids in 2019, throwing for 3,852 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Texans broke up the combination by trading Hopkins to the Cardinals in March 2020 in exchange for running back David Johnson and second- and fourth-round draft picks.

"I mean, it really just starts off with him," Watson said. "He just makes the throws a lot easier. His range, catch radius is super; it's probably the best in the league. And, I mean, just the things he do, he just made my job a lot easier. So I just put the ball in his direction. He made the plays."

Despite losing Hopkins as his top target, Watson led the league in passing in 2020 with 4,823 yards, along with career highs in completion percentage (70.2), passing touchdowns (33) and a career-low for a full 16-game season in interceptions with seven. That was his final season playing for the Texans, as he sat out the 2021 season due to a combination of trade demands and the off-the-field allegations before being dealt to the Browns in March 2022.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Deshaun Watson 'would love' Browns reunion with DeAndre Hopkins