Matthew Stafford will be the Rams’ quarterback in 2021 once the blockbuster trade between Los Angeles and Detroit becomes official on March 17, and he’s one of the more aggressive downfield passers in the NFL. On the contrary, the Rams were one of the most conservative offenses in 2020, lacking a true downfield passing game.
That should change next season, but the Rams shouldn’t rely on their current group of receivers to succeed as deep threats for Stafford. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods operate best on underneath and intermediate routes, with the same applying to Van Jefferson, to some extent.
If the Rams want to open their offense up for Stafford, these nine wide receivers should be in consideration during free agency as vertical threats for Stafford in Los Angeles.