Are the Rams on the verge of airing it out on offense?

Are the Los Angeles Rams a team ready to break out the long ball on offense? The addition of Brandin Cooks might be a signal that the LA offense might become more pass-centric in 2018.

With so much written about the Los Angeles Rams on defense after free agency, and after a season where head coach Sean McVay relied heavily on Offensive Player of the Year Todd Gurley, could LA be on the verge of flipping the switch in 2018?

Could be.

Two things we know after a whirlwind March and April, is that McVay LOVES Brandin Cooks, and LA wants to lock him up for a long time.

In the post Sammy Watkins and Tavon Austin world, it has been an easy guess that if Gurley saw a ton of action in 2017, chalk would hold and he’d see the same in 2018.

That could still very well be true.

But if you twist the scenarios from last offseason to this one, the idea that Cooks and third year quarterback Jared Goff having some time to work together where he and Watkins did not, could mean that Cooks sees a bigger workload than what Watkins did.

It stands to reason.

It also means that McVay would like to validate having traded ANOTHER draft pick for a home run threat kind of receiver, in this case the 23rd selection in the first round to New England.

But, can Goff be that guy?

Cooks also changes the dynamic in the receivers stable. Cooper Kupp, who enjoyed a breakout role in his rookie season, will be looking to avoid two things: being less of a top target in the Rams passing attack, and the dreaded “sophomore slump.”

Watkins only saw 70 passes last season, while in New England, Cooks was thrown to 114. That could mean less opportunities for one of LA’s brightest young stars in Kupp, unless the Rams become a pass happy kind of team.

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Seems like a possible progression for a Rams offense who was so dominant  in 2017.

We will learn a ton about Goff in his third season and even more about McVay in his second.

The Rams really want to validate bringing Cooks to LA, because in doing so, it will go a long way validating McVay in his second season in Los Angeles.