Latest update over this lusted-over free agent could explode Cooper Kupp market

(1) - Changing roles

If you view the Rams' relations with Cooper Kupp as odd and unfamiliar, did you forget the erosion of relations between the team and former Rams wide receiver Robert Woods? In 2021, the LA Rams Super Bowl-winning season, the team faced a sub-par season from veteran WR Robert Woods, affectionately known as Bobby Trees by his fans.

Woods, long-established as a dual-threat with teammate Kupp, vied for the team's top receiving yards. But in 2021, the team rerouted the offense almost exclusively through Kupp. Woods, grew a bit frustrated, and fought for a larger role in the offense. But he fell to a season ending injury after nine games. The following season, Woods was traded to the Tennessee Titans. He played one season for the Titans before signing with the Houston Texans.

Much like Woods, Kupp is at that transition point of his career. The Rams decision tree seems to house an algorithm that alerts the team when it is time to move on from aging veterans. For WR Robert Woods, that time was 2022. For Cooper Kupp, that time is 2025. Now, let's pivot from Kupp to the latest big news in the NFL:

There is another . . . or is there?

The NFL rumor mill has been somewhat tepid over the potential market for veteran WR Cooper Kupp because he was not viewed as the true pace car for the position. That pace-setter is none other than Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, a player who some NFL analysts projected as the premier free agent up for grabs in the 2025 NFL Free Agency market.

Unfortunately for 31 NFL general managers, the Bengals have other ideas:

Higgins is the poster child of NFL free agency markets, as he is young productive player entering his NFL prime who many view as at the cusp of a breakout season. Over the past three seasons, Higgins has suited up for 1966 offensive snaps while putting up 189 catches, 2,596 yards, and 22 touchdowns.

I'm not putting either Tee Higgins or Cooper Kupp into the other player's shoes. I'm simply showcasing how deceptive the perceptions of these two players can distort their statistical history. On any given day, NFL fans (and likely GMs as well) would overwhelmingly opt to sign or trade for Tee Higgins if all things were equal.

Tee Higgins was projected as a free agent. Cooper Kupp is only acquirable via trade.

With the Bengal's tagging Higgins, NFL GMs have one fewer elite wide receiver option to add to their team roster. So how does that help Cooper Kupps market?