The Los Angeles Rams are looking to flush the 2022 season down the toilet. With a new season arguably underway, the franchise is preparing to rapidly narrow down what the team will actually look like this year. Aside from the NFL Draft, August will be the single-most impactful period for shaping the team’s roster.
Meanwhile, rumors are making their way around the league zeitgeist that allege a Cooper Kupp trade is potentially on the table. While most could assume that most teams would love to get their hands on the wide receiver, the real question is whether there are enough important reasons for the Rams to get a massive chunk of draft capital instead of one of the top receivers in the NFL. Here’s a look at both sides of the argument.
Why the Rams Should Keep Cooper Kupp
The argument for keeping Kupp writes itself. The wide receiver is just one full season removed from getting within 18 yards of eclipsing Calvin Johnson‘s record for most receiving yards in a season, per Statmuse. At barely 30 years old, the wide receiver still has plenty of gas in the tank.
In nine games of action last year, he earned 812 yards and six touchdowns, which comes close to being a complete season for many number-one receivers. Having Kupp in the fold also unlocks Matthew Stafford as well as anyone the quarterback has had in his career. If the Rams lose the wide receiver, they’re essentially ending a Super Bowl window and potentially setting a countdown timer on the Stafford era just one full season removed from winning it all.
Lastly, with the NFC still largely in a rebuilding state at the quarterback position after the loss of Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, and others, even a Rams team down on its luck could potentially get within a stone’s throw of the ‘Big Game’ by default.
Why the Rams Should Trade Cooper Kupp
The franchise is no stranger to making massive moves in the Les Snead era. Jared Goff didn’t join the Detroit Lions of his own free will and Stafford didn’t exactly email a job application to join the Rams, either. The team was quick to dive into a Super Bowl window head first. Now, on the other side, would they be as willing to rebuild the team after their most disappointing record since the days of Jeff Fisher?
Trading the wide receiver would undoubtedly speed up the rebuild process if Snead does indeed believe that one is needed. A potential trade could fetch a similar price for what Stefon Diggs was traded for. According to NFL media, his cost was a first-round pick, a fifth-round pick, a sixth-round pick, and a fourth-round pick in exchange for Stefon Diggs and a seventh-round pick.
Trading him would also save the franchise the cost of his salary, which could be spread out to other free agents to round out the roster.
2023 will be a make-or-break year in shaping the remainder of the Matthew Stafford era. Will the team rebound from the Super Bowl hangover or are they prepping to turn the page?