Can LA Rams stretch the field with Bengals WR John Ross III?

LA Rams WR Brandin Cooks is oft-injured, but he does stretch the field. Could the Rams replace his production by trading for Bengals WR John Ross?

The LA Rams believe that WR Brandin Cooks is one of the most valuable wide receivers in the NFL. They believe it so much that they put their money where their mouth is, and offered him a very lucrative contract. His reaction? Simply put, he put up one of the worst seasons in his NFL career. That is complicated with an injury history that makes some ask if his NFL career hangs in the balance, ending with his next hard hit.

The Rams never factored that into their contract for Cooks, insulating the wide receiver with lots of guaranteed dollars. Disappointingly, much of the NFL has factored his injury history into the equation.  Right now, Cooks appears to be one of those players the Rams rushed to keep, and were left holding the bag when he failed to show up on the field.

Of course, one solution is to trade Cooks to another team. While that improves the team’s 2021 and beyond salary cap situation, it triggers an additional hit of $1 million to the team’s 2020 salary cap.  Trading Cooks makes sense if other teams see Cooks 2020 season ceiling over 1,000 yards, and if the Rams urgently need future salary cap relief.

But as many fans have pointed out, the Rams risk losing the one player who can stretch the field for them. Despite his injuries, Cooks remains a deep threat whenever he steps onto the field.