LA Rams News: Deal with WR Kupp ‘chance they finalize it before kickoff’

LA Rams News: NFL rumors report that deal with WR Kupp could be signed before game time

The LA Rams have been very active on the personnel front since finalizing their 53-man roster. The team had just extended star cornerback Jalen Ramsey for five years earlier in the week. Now, it appears that the team could be very close to locking in their wide receiver Cooper Kupp on an extension.  What the terms currently being negotiated remains to be seen, but the fact is that both sides are very confident that an agreement is imminent.

The Rams had a lot of work ahead of them this off-season. After running out of funds, the team watched several very popular players leave the team via free agency in OLB Dante Fowler Jr. and ILB Cory Littleton. The team accelerated the exodus by releasing long-time RB Todd Gurley, OLB Clay Matthews, and trading WR Brandin Cooks.  The resulting dead cap money of over $34 million left many questioning whether the Rams would simply reboot the roster all over again.

Refurbish on the fly

But the Rams had other ideas. Right now, those plans are taking shape. The team had traded a significant package of draft picks, including two first-round picks, to the Jacksonville Jaguars to land Ramsey.

Now the Rams are closing in rapidly on their next major contract extension.  While Ramsey was needed to anchor the defense, the extension for Cooper Kupp is needed to ensure that the Rams maintain the dynamic chemistry between Kupp, teammate Robert Woods, and quarterback Jared Goff.

It seems very promising that this deal will happen pretty quickly.

Kupp wants to stay with the Rams

When we had discussed the team turning to focus upon the current negotiations with Cooper Kupp’s agent, we alluded to the fact that Kupp was more loyal.  Now we have the opportunity to elaborate.   In negotiations with Ramsey, the Rams had to meet his price or he would have found a team willing to do so.  Of course, the Rams agreed to that price, which prompted him to house shop in Los Angeles before any deal was signed.

With Kupp, he wants to play in Los Angeles. As long as the Rams are in the market range for his talents, he will be good to go. That is not saying that the Rams can insult him with a low-ball offer.  It simply means that the negotiations will move along more rapidly as the two sides will focus more upon the big-picture rather than the fine print.

Will this deal happen before kickoff? I think so, yes.  Both sides want a deal done before the first game for very different reasons. With two major extensions out of the way, the teams will likely pause and then look at who the team will focus upon next.