With Adams and Cooper trades done, NFL rumors over Rams Kupp are red hot

Somewhere out there is an NFL GM who plans to make the LA Rams an offer for veteran WR Cooper Kupp that GM Les Snead cannot refuse. Too far fetched for your liking? Not according to the latest NFL Rumors that are glowing red hot right now per multiple NFL Insiders. While I remain skeptical, some consider the team's trading of Kupp to no long be a matter of 'if,' but now a matter of 'when.'

Admittedly, if the team falls to 1-5 with a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7, I reserve the right to modify my stance.

And that is fuel for the fire burning under this one. After all, the Cleveland Browns (1-5) traded WR Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills. And the Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) traded WR Devante Adams to the New York Jets. So there is evidence that, win or lose, the Rams may have incentive to deal the star veteran wide receiver before the 2024 NFL Trade Deadline.

While no NFL teams are directly cited in trade talks linked to LA Rams WR Cooper Kupp, you have to believe that Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are among the teams seeking wide receiver help.

And wouldn't you know it. After I had that speculation down on my draft article, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport slams it home in his social media update, confirming that all three teams are likely among the teams who have Rams GM Les Snead on speed dial right now.

Will the Rams do a deal? If the team falls to 1-5, I have to believe that the phone lines will light up and earnest top offers will find their way to Snead's desk. And it makes sense, because of all NFL options at the position, Cooper Kupp checks all of the boxes for almost all NFL teams.

The Rams are in a difficult spot. The team had already undergone a refurbishment since the disastrous 2022 NFL season. While the team has better than expected results in 2023, the retirement of DT Aaron Donald, the trade of ILB Ernest Jones, and the injuries to the team have drug the team's start to 2024 to the basement.

How many more years can the team make veteran QB Matthew Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp wait? And with multiple NFL teams cashing in the chips and pivoting to focus on 2025, how long can the Rams continue to bluff before following suit and regrouping for next year?

Thanks to two very solid drafts in the past two seasons, the front office has built new windows for a Super Bowl run in the future. And while many fans may insist on the past practice of mortgaging the future for even a remote chance to win in 2024, I'm seeing more evidence that if the Rams lose to the Raiders, the strategy will pivot from 2024 to 2025 rather quickly.

As much as I would hate to see it happen, if the Rams can get decent or better-than-expected value by trading WR Cooper Kupp to a 2024 contender, that may be the wisest option. After all, he has started his new coffee company, Dodo Coffee, with an eye to life after his football career. And we know that the Rams have to see life after QB Matthew Stafford, whose own future with the team is uncertain.

The Rams may need to eye the 2025 NFL Draft as the next bus stop to load up on the last remaining pieces for a fresh playoff run. That shopping list includes cornerback, offensive tackle, inside linebacker, and franchise quarterback. If some team makes a significant offer for Kupp, any assets added to the team's hope chest for the upcoming draft could put the team in an ideal position to load up the team in all of their remaining positions of need.

Stay tuned. This storyline could change rapidly, and it all depends on the outcome of Week 7.

And as always, thanks for reading.

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