NFL analyst joins us in naming this NFL team as a front-runner to land Kupp

Great minds think alike? It's tough to be skeptical of an NFL analyst who arrifved at the same landing site for Cooper Kupp that I did

NFC Divisional Playoffs: Los Angeles Rams Cooper Kupp v Philadelphia Eagles
NFC Divisional Playoffs: Los Angeles Rams Cooper Kupp v Philadelphia Eagles | Kara Durrette/GettyImages

When the NFL rumors over the Los Angeles Rams' intention to trade veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp exploded onto the scene, I instantly immersed myself in assessing the fallout of that news. But the second priority was creating an instant list of NFL teams that were front-runners to land Kupp. At the time, it would have taken no time at all to simply look over the teams that had cut and pasted an LA Rams offensive positional coach or offensive player from the Rams to their team. But that was simply too simple.

I wanted to do more. And so I dove into teams that seemed to meet the rather sparse details that were known at the time. The Rams would work with Cooper Kupp to stage a trade that would not only benefit the team but land Kupp on an NFL contender who could compete for a Super Bowl ring to add to Kupp's SB LVI jewelry case. I came up with 5 such teams. I received little feedback or pushback from the article, suggesting that I had either missed the mark completely, or my article was just one of thousands addressing the details of how the Rams might proceed with such a delicate matter as trading their MVP of Super Bowl LVI.

In making my proclamations, I noticed that Kupp was very effective when competing against the Philadelphia Eagles. Here is some of what I had to say about Cooper Kupp's performance against the Super Bowl LIX champion Eagles:

"In those two games against the Eagles combined, Kupp hauled in 13 of 18 passes for 121 yards and one touchdown. That works out to a 72.2 percent catch rate, which is very impressive for a guy who finds himself on the trading block. "
Bret Stuter

Right now, investing in a veteran wide receiver who has perhaps two or three seasons left of positive NFL contribution may seem like a silly investment. But I don't see it that way. And now, neither does Sports Illustrated contributor Conor Orr.

Orr makes one bold prediction for every NFL team, but the one that is most pressing to share is his viewpoint about the Philadelphia Eagles trading for Cooper Kupp. In his article, he states:

"The Eagles will trade for Cooper Kupp. After watching this team throughout the postseason, I was taken by how beautiful their offense was with the contribution of so many receivers willing to put their body on the line as blockers. Kupp is one of those wideouts and is a net positive for any team()s running game. With precious little time remaining on the Saquon Barkley contract (and prime), the Eagles not only have to fortify Barkley()s offensive line but also the players around the offensive line who can contribute. "
Sport Illustrated Conor Orr

Orr gets it right. After his first season with the Eagles, it's impossible to see that team changing its offensive formula anytime soon. When it comes to blocking wide receivers, Cooper Kupp is one of the best in the NFL. And for a wide receiver who can block like a tight end and yet still threaten opposing defenses with huge gains catching passes, it makes complete sense for the Eagles to be in the running in trading for Kupp.

I get it that some fans don't instantly buy-in on predictions from one source. But now that two independent sources have arrived at the same conclusion, perhaps the possibility will find a bit more open-mindedness. It makes a lot of sense right now.

As always, thanks for reading.

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