The Arizona Cardinals appear to have gotten a steal from the Houston Texans, acquiring star receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-round pick for a second-round pick, David Johnson and a draft pick next year.

He was, in part, available for less than would think the Texans should have gotten because of his desire for a new contract. Apparently, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer, there was also some friction with Hopkins and the team.

There was friction with Hopkins inside the organization, and really it had everything to do with Monday-to-Saturday. On Sundays, he was exemplary. The rest of the week, his practice habits (he didn’t practice much at all) became a problem, and because he was such a big star he had the ability to carry teammates in the wrong direction—guys who might not be able to turn it on come game day as easily as he could. And that was, if not easy, manageable. That said, it’s one thing to keep a guy who may not totally align with the program on an existing contract. It’s another to reward him with a new contract with three years left on that deal, and have to handle the message it sends to the locker room. And those intangible elements, by the way, are central to how EVP Jack Easterby is trying to help O’Brien rework the organization.

Of course, this information is likely leaked from Houston to try and help them save face in a deal for which they have been heavily criticized. Will it be an issue in Arizona? Will he have the same practice habits when he has a model in Larry Fitzgerald as his teammate?

Fitz typically does not practice on Wednesdays because of his age, but he doesn’t take reps off. You can see his effort in training camp and his teammates and coaches rave about his work ethic.

The Cardinals could not have gone into this trade blindly. They had to know about the contract demands and the reputation. If the Cardinals take care of him, everything will likely take care of itself.

However, the Cardinals are acquiring a player who wasn’t completely happy with his last team.

Gallery Look: Results of post-DeAndre Hopkins trade mock draft simulation View 6 photos

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