Cowboys could be surprise suitors for Rams veteran WR Cooper Kupp

Well, a quick trade for the Los Angeles Rams and veteran WR Cooper Kupp was not in the cards. But are the Rams doomed to release Kupp because no team has expressed any interest in him? After all, Rams fans have watched the San Francisco 49ers attract interest in WR Deebo Samuel, even though a comparison of Kupp and Samuel revealed that Kupp is the better bargain.

And before you fall into the salary cap trap of failing to comprehend the dollars involved, Kupp is due $12.5 million salary in 2025. The Washington Commanders not only traded a Round 5 pick for Samuel, but they fully intend to pay him over $20 million due him this season. That price tag is significantly higher than the $12.5 million due Kupp.

So is all hope of trading Kupp forlorn? Not exacly. NFL rumors report growing interest from the Dallas Cowboys to upgrade their wide receiver room, and adding a solid competitor like Cooper Kupp would be an ideal and economical option in doing so. The biggest hurdle? Apparently, the Cowboys want Kupp's price to drop.

That strikes me as a bit perplexing.

The Rams are notoriously inept at getting fair market value for players. When the team traded ILB Ernest Jones to the Tennessee Titans, they had to settle for a pick swap. In only took several months for the Titans to flip Jones to the Seattle Seahawks, landing a Round 4 pick plus a linebacker in the exchange.

And that is just one example of how the Rams roll when it comes to offloading players.

With Deebo Samuel getting a Round 5 pick, I had already prepared myself to see the Rams settling for a swap of Round 6 picks this year, at best. Are the Rams asking for more than that? If so, it's a mild surprise. The Rams have not held the line when painted into a corner. And many NFL teams are likely taking a stance of low-balling the Rams, anticipating the team outright releasing Kupp before his $7.5 million roster bonus comes due in mid March.

This is something worth tracking. While I would not expect the Rams to get anything noteworthy in return, offloading Kupp will put more salary cap into the coffers.

As always, thanks so much for reading.

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