This NFL WR is lobbying hard for Cooper Kupp, and he may get his wish

Does 'I told you so!' apply when it comes to an NFL wide receiver who lobbies hard for an LA Rams veteran wide receiver to come to his team weeks before that player has a chance to determine his own future? Well, whether or not he has that right, you have to give kudos to New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, as he was out on a limb over Cooper Kupp's imminent availability long before Kupp announced that he would be traded immediately.

Now, several days after the news rocked the NFL landscape, let's go back and revisit Bourne's bold efforts to lobby for Cooper Kupp to come to the New England Patriots. After all, that scenario seems far more realistic today than it did on January 21, 2025, when he shared this on social media:

Bourne is no stranger to the business-side workings of the NFL. He is himself an eight-year NFL veteran wide receiver, splitting four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, and his most recent four seasons with the New England Patriots. So he knows a bit about just how good Cooper Kupp can be on the football field. When the NFL rumors about Kupp and the Rams began to smolder, Bourne was way ahead of the rest of the NFL, actively recruiting Kupp to consider the Patriots as his next NFL team:

While I didn't consider the New England Patriots to have a strong case to trade for Kupp initially, I don't see any team as completely out of the running. After all, the team is sharing that they will swallow Kupp's roster bonus (a $7.5 million savings to any trade partner) to facilitate a trade quickly.

Kupp for $12.5 million in 2025? That's a pretty good deal. So let's break down the cons and pros:

Why it doesn't make sense

The New England Patriots have hired 'no-nonsense' Mke Vrabel as their head coach, and Vrabel is a seasoned NFL head coach who is installing his own version of offense now. Unlike many NFL teams, Vrabel does not have any direct ties to LA Rams HC Sean McVay, nor to McVay's version of offense. So adding a veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp does little to nothing to help his team fast-track to its new offensive philosophy.

But he does know a bit about former Rams wide receivers. After all, the team traded Robert Woods to the Tennessee Titans while Vrabel was their head coach. At the time, all the Rams could pry out of the Titans was a Round 6 pick in the next year's draft. Woods would only play one season for the Titans, catching 53 of 91 passes for 527 yards and two touchdowns. He would sign the following season with the Houston Texans.

I don't think that the Titans overpaid for Woods. I also do not think that the Titans got a sensational value in that trade, either. So why would Vrabel extend himself to get behind a moderate-risk, moderate-reward gamble over trading for Cooper Kupp now?

Why it might make sense

While the parallel's of Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp's careers as wide receivers in the LA Rams offense were very similar, there was a huge difference in 2021 that altered their NFL career trajectories permanently. As Woods struggled to attract targets and stay healthy, Kupp nearly set the single-season record of all-time in the NFL for receptions and receiving yards, falling just shy of the make to former NFL legend, WR Calvin Johnson.

Who better to rally an NFL receiver room than one of the best to ever play the position?

Cooper Kupp is a natural leader. He takes his craft seriously, and takes young receivers under his wing to elevate them from ordinary to extra-ordinary. You could make the argument that Kupp's generosity with his time over working with Puka Nacua before the 2024 NFL season that led to the duplicity in the Rams roster, creating the scenario by which the team is now seeking to trade Kupp immediately.

Then there is the warm reception that Kupp will almost surely get from Patriots receivers. The Patriots passing game is still trying to get some momentum behind second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Who better to fast-track his development in Year 2 of an NFL fledgling quarterback than a meticulous wide receiver who processes defenses as well and as quickly as Rams veteran QB Matthew Stafford? In trading for Kupp, the Patriots add both a player and a coach.

And that offense needs both.

Finally, there is the need to show improvement rapidly. Former Patriots HC Jared Mayo was given the yank just one season into his NFL head coaching debut. The team was 4-13 in 2023, and did not improve in 2024. That is easy to rationalize, as the team was in Year 1 of rebuilding around rookie quarterback Drake Maye. But Mayo did not get the benefit of the doubt, which is why Mike Vrabel is taking over.

Finally, there is fundamental synergy between Mike Vrabel's tough-guy mindset and Cooper Kupp's NFL career. Kupp is an NFL tough guy too, perhaps too much so. Kupp blocks defensive ends routinely. He is deadly effective at catching passes over the middle, where he must contend with linebackers as well as defensive backs. But most of all, Kupp can churn out yards after the catch like an NFL power back. Vrable has to respect that.

Summary:

While I do not view the Patriots' chances of making the postseason as likely, there are other reasons for the Patriots to strongly consider trading for veteran Cooper Kupp. If the goal is to get the Patriots passing offense to a competitive level in the AFC East Division, then Kupp is a logical solution. Kup brings tight-end physicality, a wide receivers route-running, and a quarterback's mindset to any NFL team that trades for him.

The New England Patriots need everything he's got.

I don't think that the Patriots will make an offer to trade for Kupp, but they should. I also do not project Kupp as a 1000+ receiving yards contributor to the Patriots offense in 2025. But I do think that the quality of everyone in the Patriots offense will improve far beyond 1000 yards with Kupp in that locker room. Kupp is the antithesis of the modern-era NFL wide receiver who sees the stage as an ideal setting for self-promotion. Kupp promotes the team first. As much as it breaks my heart to see him being traded, I can see all the positives that he would contribute to the New England Patriots.

Final Grade

Unlikely, but certainly a doable scenario

As always, thanks for reading.

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