The Falcons must sign newly-released All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins

One of the hottest storylines of this offseason has been the availability of All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Early on it was made known that he was available via trade with the Arizona Cardinals but no one was taking the bait. Then it seemed like he could return to the team but that has gone by the wayside as the Cardinals have now released their superstar receiver.

The Atlanta Falcons were one of the rumored teams attempting to trade for Hopkins. Now that he is available to sign anywhere, the Falcons must sign him, especially considering that they have a hole opposite Drake London.

The Atlanta Falcons must aggressively pursue superstar WR DeAndre Hopkins

The Atlanta Falcons have the opportunity to land one of the best receivers of this generation following the Arizona Cardinals' decision to release DeAndre Hopkins—and they must take advantage of it.

The Falcons have a need at wide receiver after not doing much to bolster the position. They brought in Mack Hollins who was a breakout player for the Raiders last year, re-signed KhaDarel Hodge, and then recently signed J.J. Arcega-Whiteside following Jared Bernhardt's decision to retire.

However, none of those moves moved the needle as much as Hopkins would. Adding the All-Pro wide receiver would give the Falcons another superstar on the offensive side of the ball, which would only make Desmond Ridder's job that much easier.

D-Hop would join an offense that already has Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Jonnu Smith, Cordarrelle Patterson, Tyler Allgeier, and Bijan Robinson. That is a dynamic group of playmakers.

Hopkins is a big and physical athlete which is exactly what Arthur Smith wants at the receiver position. He would also make the run game that much better because of how feisty he is as a blocker.

The Falcons have the means to get a deal done with Hopkins. They have $10 million in cap space left, according to Spotrac, and there are always ways to increase that number or structure a contract in a way that works around that $10 million.

This is something the Atlanta Falcons must pounce on as it figures to be their final shot to fill one of the few remaining holes on their new-look roster. The only question that remains is if D-Hop would be willing to sign with the Falcons. It is a concern considering how little success the team has had over the past five years.

While they never played with each other, perhaps Calais Campbell has connections to the now-former Cardinal player and can give him an elevator pitch that will convince him to sign in the ATL.