Tag: Cooper Kupp

Matthew Stafford thrilled to have Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and DeSean Jackson at WR

Matthew Stafford explains his excitement to work with Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and DeSean Jackson this season.

When Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams earlier this offseason, the NFL world lit up. Despite not having much success in the form of winning with the Detroit Lions, Stafford was joining a Rams squad that has their sights on winning a Super Bowl.

Ahead of his debut with Los Angeles in Week 1 versus the Chicago Bears, Stafford can’t wait to throw passes that count to Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and DeSean Jackson.

“Robert and Cooper have been doing this in this offense at such a high level for such a long time. It’s really impressive to see them come out with a day like today – just the incredible energy that they have, attention to detail. Both those guys are so dialed in on what we’re trying to do – whether we’re asking them to block, run routes, block for their other receivers. Whatever it is, they’re always just down to execute for our offense,” Stafford said Wednesday. “That’s an awesome thing to have as a quarterback when you have receivers that are willing to do whatever it takes. DeSean is new in this offense. His role is evolving. He has been as good a deep threat as anybody in the NFL for a long time. He still looks like he can run to me and I’m having a bunch of fun working with him. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time, from afar, watching him go over the top on people for years. So, it’s fun to be on the back end of that throwing it to him.”

Woods and Kupp have been on the Rams since 2017, which was the year Sean McVay became the head coach in Los Angeles. While Kupp was a rookie in 2017, Woods joined the Rams as a free agent from the Buffalo Bills. Ever since both of them joined the offense, they’ve been one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL.

As for Jackson, he joined the Rams this offseason after expressing his desire to play under McVay again. Even though Jackson is now 34 years old and has dealt with injury woes in recent years, he’s a perfect wideout for Stafford to target down the field. It’s clear that Jackson will have a prominent role in the offense as long as he remains healthy.

Besides Kupp, Woods, and Jackson, Stafford will also have Darrell Henderson Jr., Sony Michel, Tyler Higbee, Van Jefferson, and rookie Tutu Atwell available to him in the offense. After sitting out the preseason, Stafford is delighted to work with the assortment of weapons he’s been given in his first year with the Rams, beginning on Sunday night versus the Bears.

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Cooper Kupp would love to line up as an outside receiver more

Cooper Kupp primarily plays the slot, but he’d be happy to move outside to X-receiver if needed.

Cooper Kupp has earned the title as one of the best slot receivers in the NFL. He’s been incredibly productive as a former third-round pick, catching 288 passes for 3,570 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons (54 games).

But Kupp doesn’t necessarily want to be known as just a slot receiver. That’s his role in the Rams’ offense – even though Sean McVay moves his pass-catchers around often – but he wouldn’t mind getting more opportunities on the outside.

Kupp has the size to win outside, but he’s not a threat to run by defenders or win over the top, which makes him a better fit in the slot thanks to his quickness and route running. Even still, he told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that he doesn’t want to be pigeonholed to one role.

“I’m always asking for more,” Kupp said. “I never want to get pigeonholed in one thing. The goal for everyone here, the more you can do the better. I also take pride in what’s happening across the field and what to do. There are really fun things about being singled outside as an X that I don’t get to experience as much. I’d love to do that stuff. At the same time, I know what my role is in the offense, being able to execute my role is the utmost priority. If my number is called for other stuff, that comes into play as well.”

The Rams have enough wide receiver depth that they don’t need Kupp to play outside. Robert Woods is plenty capable of doing that. So is Van Jefferson. And DeSean Jackson.

But with how often the Rams mix things up on offense, it wouldn’t hurt to isolate Kupp on the edge as the X-receiver one-on-one against a cornerback. He has such a good feel for route running that him getting open in that situation has a strong likelihood, even if it won’t go for an explosive play downfield.

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Depth chart dispute: Cooper Kupp will not be Rams’ punt returner

Sean McVay cleared things up about Cooper Kupp being listed as the team’s punt returner on the depth chart.

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When the Rams released their first depth chart of the year, there’s a reason they said it was “unofficial.” That’s because it’s not actually put out by the coaching staff, but rather the PR and media department.

Fans noticed Cooper Kupp being listed as the only punt returner, which came as a surprise. Sean McVay says he never even looked at the depth chart, but insisted that Kupp will not be the team’s punt returner.

“I didn’t see that depth chart if we did. He won’t be our punt returner,” McVay said.

It wouldn’t make any sense for Kupp to be the team’s primary punt returner, given the circumstances. Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis wants someone who can drop the ball over the goal line in the return game. Kupp is a good athlete, but he’s not the most explosive option at punt returner.

He’s also dealt with injuries during his career, so putting him back there to return punts would only increase the likelihood of him getting hurt. Needless to say, the Rams need him more on offense than they do on special teams.

McVay didn’t specify who will be the punt returner, but the competition is still open. Tutu Atwell is capable of handling that job, as are Landen Akers, Jeremiah Haydel and Otis Anderson. The Rams will likely go with one of those rookies before putting Kupp back there.

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Getting to know the new-look LA Rams offense

Assessing how the offseason changes affect fantasy football plans.

While Aaron Rodgers dominated offseason headlines, the NFC North quarterback to actually switched teams was Matthew Stafford, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Jared Goff and some picks. The move was meant to reinvigorate an LA passing attack that had stumbled under Goff’s regression, whilst freeing Stafford to make a run at playing January football.

Unfortunately, the new-look Rams suffered a setback before camp even began when running back Cam Akers (Achilles) suffered a torn Achilles that’s expected to cost him all of 2021. With several major changes in LA, it’s a good time to sort through what they mean to fantasy owners.

QB Matthew Stafford

Given his sub-.500 record and solitary Pro Bowl nod, Stafford may not appear to have elite credentials. Don’t be fooled. Stafford has averaged 4,231 yards, 26 TDs and 12 INTs per season over the last 10 years. During that stretch, he also shed the “Matty Ice Pack” moniker he was given early on by starting 16 games nine times.

Stafford played with some great wideouts in Motown, including Calvin Johnson and Kenny Golladay, but the depth of receiver talent in LA should be the best group he’s played with. The veteran is also well versed in a pass-heavy approach given Detroit’s long-standing struggles in the running game. As such, while the loss of Akers could affect LA’s balance, Stafford has dealt with those shortcomings before.

Like Goff, Stafford is no threat to run, but he’s far nimbler and has shown a penchant for making off-schedule plays in the mold of Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes. He should also be highly motivated by the hope of a deep playoff run following a decade-plus in Detroit. Stafford holds borderline top-10 value.

RB Darrell Henderson

After seeing steady touches early last year, Henderson played sparingly following the Week 9 bye as Akers became the starter. With Akers injured, Henderson will be counted on as LA’s top back; this was confirmed by head coach Sean McVay, who announced that the Memphis product won’t play in any preseason games in an effort to keep him healthy. That has proven difficult as the third-year back dealt with high-ankle sprains each of his first two seasons, despite modest usage and now reports of an unspecified injury during the offseason.

Henderson was productive in college and has flashed talent in limited chances with the Rams. Now he needs to show he can answer the bell on a weekly basis. With teams gearing up to stop the pass, Henderson is worth rolling the dice on as a low-end RB2 or strong RB3/flex play.

Remaining running backs

Unless the Rams add a veteran in August, their RB2 will be an unproven commodity as none of their other backs have logged an NFL carry. Xavier Jones and Raymond Calais are both holdovers; the latter appeared in four games on special teams.

Funk was drafted in the seventh round out of Maryland after averaging 8.6 YPC in 2020. He’s torn his ACL twice, though, and it’s hard to envision anyone in the current group as a viable lead back if Henderson goes down.

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WR Cooper Kupp

While Kupp (92-974-3) isn’t a true No. 1 receiver, he and Robert Woods form one of the NFL’s better duos. Which one functions as Stafford’s favorite may alternate from week to week, but we’ll classify Kupp as the steadier choice. Kupp works in the short and intermediate game, averaging 10.6 YPC last year, and his lack of TDs (13 in 186 catches over the past two seasons) serves to limit his ceiling. To his credit, Kupp caught 10 touchdowns on 94 receptions in 2019, following it up with only three over 92 grabs a year ago. More options in the passing game could cancel any gains made by Stafford’s arrival, leaving Kupp on the fringes of the top-20 fantasy wideouts.

WR Robert Woods

Despite being under contract through 2025, Woods could face an uncertain future following consecutive Day 2 receiver selections. The 29-year-old has been a picture of consistency over the last three years, averaging an 87-1,096-5 line while appearing in 47 of 48 games. At 6-foot, 195 pounds, Woods has never been a force around the goal line, though, and it makes him more of a strong No. 2 after finishing no worse than WR21 in non-PPR scoring over those three seasons.

WR Van Jefferson

With Josh Reynolds gone, the Rams need a new No. 3 receiver for 2021. Jefferson (19-220-1) has already established a reputation as a route runner and also earned praise from McVay, who called him a “major bright spot” this offseason. He’s no lock to secure the job, but he seems to have the inside track given his familiarity in the offense. Still, the Rams are looking for an influx of speed offensively, and that’s not his game. If that creates a timeshare for snaps, it’d rob Jefferson of any serious upside.

WR DeSean Jackson

Even at his apex, D-Jax was feast or famine from one week to the next … and that was seven years ago. Injuries ruined Jackson’s second tour of duty with Philly as he played in just eight games combined over the past two seasons. If he can stay healthy, he could give Stafford, an underrated deep-ball thrower, a downfield threat, but that’s a big ask entering Jackson’s age-35 season. Stay away.

WR Tutu Atwell

Normally a second-round receiver on an offense with LA’s potential would draw major fantasy interest, but Atwell appears buried on the depth chart. Although he offers the breakaway speed the Rams were searching for this offseason, Atwell is unlikely to see more than spot duty as a designated deep threat. He’s exclusively a dynasty target.

TE Tyler Higbee

Higbee put himself on fantasy radars in 2019 when he combined for 43 receptions, 522 yards and 2 TDs in five December games. Amazingly, that nearly matched his output for all of last season when he posted a 44-521-5 line. Doubtless fantasy owners will be wary after being burned, but with Gerald Everett (41-417-1) gone, this could be a big year for Higbee — both Eric Ebron and T.J. Hockenson had good years with Stafford under center. If you’re looking for a late-round lottery ticket, Higbee could pay off.

Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods both ranked among NFL’s 11 best slot WRs

The Rams have two of the NFL’s 11 best slot receivers in Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods.

With how often teams have three wideouts on the field in today’s NFL, slot receivers have become more important and valuable than ever. Cooper Kupp has shown that in his first four seasons, but he’s not the only great slot receiver on the Rams’ roster.

Robert Woods often lines up inside, too, using his speed and quickness to get open in the middle of the field. He’s not a true slot receiver like Kupp is, but when he does line up there, he’s one of the toughest matchups in football.

Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire ranked the 11 best slot receivers in football and both Kupp and Woods made the list. Woods was No. 11, while Kupp checked in at No. 6.

Here’s what Farrar wrote about Woods:

One of the more underappreciated route technicians of his era, Woods has excelled for the Bills and Rams through his career, and with Cooper Kupp dealing with injuries last season, he became an invaluable slot target in Sean McVay’s offense — even when Jared Goff was dealing with accuracy and mechanical issues. In 2020, Woods caught 50 of 66 slot targets for 506 yards and four touchdowns; one can only imagine how he’ll fare when Matthew Stafford is throwing him passes as opposed to Goff.

Woods’ production should only increase with Stafford under center, giving the Rams a more aggressive and accurate quarterback. Expect an uptick in downfield routes for Woods and Kupp, which will open things up underneath, as well.

Neither player is seen as a true deep threat, but with their route-running ability and quickness, they should make more plays on intermediate and deep passes this season.

Farrar notes that Kupp caught 62 passes on 82 targets from the slot, totaling 669 yards on those receptions. Those numbers were down from his 69 slot catches for 853 yards in 2019, but he was still highly productive as an inside receiver.

With Woods, Kupp, DeSean Jackson, Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell, the Rams undoubtedly have one of the best receiving corps in football. And thanks to their versatility, there’s a wealth of combinations for Sean McVay to use.

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Jared Goff teaching rookie WR Amon-Ra St. Brown how to play Cooper Kupp’s role with him

Goff is helping teach St. Brown the ways in which he and Cooper Kupp clicked in L.A.

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Jared Goff had to leave behind some pretty good wide receivers when he was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Detroit Lions. But Goff is making the best of his new team and trying to help mold one of his new receivers in the style of his favorite Rams target.

Rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown discussed how well he’s getting along with Goff, and how Goff is teaching him the same routes and techniques of Cooper Kupp, who was Goff’s favorite wideout in Los Angeles.

“I love Jared. He’s awesome, awesome dude,” St. Brown said via Rams Wire. “Great quarterback who understands the game. He’s taught me some things about certain routes and things Cooper Kupp did with him back with the Rams that he loved. He checks in on me. He’s actually out here in Los Angeles now, so we’ll try to link up and catch some balls.

“He’s a great quarterback who knows the game. I can’t wait to play with him.”

Kupp caught nearly 200 passes in the last two seasons from Goff, and the two were close friends off the field as well. If St. Brown can get any of that chemistry with Goff in Detroit, the Lions receiving corps could have itself a real find in the fourth-rounder from USC.

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Jared Goff using Cooper Kupp’s techniques to help Lions rookie WR Amon-Ra St. Brown

Jared Goff has shown Lions rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown some of Cooper Kupp’s techniques to help develop chemistry in Detroit.

Jared Goff may not be a member of the Los Angeles Rams anymore, but he’s bringing things he learned with his former team to his new club. Goff has a new offense to learn, new receivers to develop chemistry with and a fanbase to win over in Detroit, and he’s already begun taking the necessary steps to succeed in 2021.

As he gets to know the Lions’ receiving corps, he’s using some aspects of Cooper Kupp’s routes and techniques to help rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown in Detroit.

St. Brown told Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports that he can’t wait to play with Goff and that he’s already taught him some things from his time with Kupp.

“I love Jared. He’s awesome, awesome dude,” St. Brown said. “Great quarterback who understands the game. He’s taught me some things about certain routes and things Cooper Kupp did with him back with the Rams that he loved. He checks in on me. He’s actually out here in Los Angeles now, so we’ll try to link up and catch some balls.

“He’s a great quarterback who knows the game. I can’t wait to play with him.”

Kupp was Goff’s favorite receiver in Los Angeles, targeting him often on a weekly basis. The two grew close with the Rams off the field, too, which helped them on Sundays. They had great timing and Goff seemingly always knew where Kupp was going to be, especially on crucial third downs.

Goff hopes to have that sort of connection with his receivers in Detroit, so it’s only natural that he’d use some of Kupp’s techniques to help St. Brown along as he gets acclimated to the NFL.

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Isaac Bruce: Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are ‘very similar’ to me and Torry Holt

Isaac Bruce says it’ll be tough for Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp to match himself and Torry Holt, but he hopes they do.

Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods have established themselves as one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL over the last four years. They may not individually put up huge numbers in the range of the elite wideouts like DeAndre Hopkins and Davante Adams, but together they make up a great pairing in Los Angeles.

It’s not the first time the Rams have boasted a dynamic wide receiver tandem. Fans vividly remember the days of Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt wreaking havoc against opposing secondaries, winning a Super Bowl together in St. Louis.

Bruce and Holt both made the Pro Bowl together in 2000 and 2001, with Holt leading the NFL in receiving yards (1,635) in 2000 and Bruce adding another 1,471 yards receiving himself that year. Woods and Kupp haven’t come close to more than 3,100 combined yards in a season, but Bruce still sees similarities between them and his reign with Holt.

“I think they’re pretty close,” Bruce said on NFL Network of where Woods and Kupp rank in the NFL right now. “Number one, they’re football players, and that’s always where I begin in my evaluation of players. They can run after the catch, catch footballs in traffic, make plays. They can get open versus zone and they do a lot of their work at the line of scrimmage. So when I see these two guys and the combination that they have together, very similar to what Torry and I were able to accomplish. And at the same time, I’m very biased about my time with the Rams and the work that Torry and I put in, so it’s going to be hard to match but hopefully they do it.

“That gets me a free playoff ticket to somewhere in the country, preferably in SoFi Stadium. The more they win, the happier I am.”

It’ll take a lot for Woods and Kupp to catch Bruce and Holt in terms of production, and they probably never will. Bruce is a Hall of Famer with eight 1,000-yard seasons and four Pro Bowl selections. Holt has been a Hall of Fame finalist, made the Pro Bowl seven times and recorded eight straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Rams.

It’s fun to think about how good Kupp and Woods will be, but there are few wide receiver tandems better than Holt and Bruce in NFL history.

PFF projects yardage totals for Rams’ top playmakers this season

Will Matthew Stafford top 4,500 yards passing? Will only one of Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods eclipse 1,000 yards receiving?

Everyone is expecting the Los Angeles Rams offense to improve this season with Matthew Stafford under center. The change at quarterback should lead to more explosive plays, a more aggressive offense and better individual stats from the receivers and running backs.

In turn, that should lead to an uptick in total yards and scoring from last season, when the Rams ranked 11th and 22nd in the NFL, respectively.

Pro Football Focus took the liberty of projecting yardage totals for Stafford and four of his top playmakers this season, but the numbers aren’t as impressive as Rams fans might expect. While Stafford is projected to throw for 4,538 yards, Cooper Kupp barely tops 1,000 yards receiving and Robert Woods come in under that threshold.

Here are PFF’s predictions for the Rams’ top players on offense.

  • Matthew Stafford: 4,538 yards
  • Cam Akers: 1,377 total yards
  • Robert Woods: 962 receiving yards
  • Cooper Kupp: 1,066 receiving yards
  • Tyler Higbee: 660 receiving yards

It’s hard to imagine Stafford throwing for 4,500 yards with Kupp and Woods only combining for 2,028 of them, especially in a 17-game season. Last year, Goff threw for 3,952 yards. Kupp had 974 yards receiving in 15 games and Woods had 936 in 16.

The Rams do have more receiving threats now with DeSean Jackson, Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell behind Woods and Kupp, so perhaps PFF is predicting big seasons from one or two of those receivers.

But either way, 4,538 yards from Stafford would certainly be good enough for the Rams, especially if it leads them to a deep playoff run.

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Brad Holmes shares story of Cooper Kupp’s emergence at 2017 Senior Bowl

Former Rams college scouting director Brad Holmes explained how the Rams identified Cooper Kupp as a great prospect at the Senior Bowl.

Rams coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead have developed an incredibly strong relationship in the last four years together in Los Angeles, leading to three playoff berths and a Super Bowl appearance. They work in concert during the draft and throughout free agency, identifying players who fit the mold of what the Rams are looking for.

Cooper Kupp certainly checked plenty of boxes for Los Angeles in 2017 when he entered the draft out of Eastern Washington, which led to him being drafted in the third round. He wasn’t the top receiver in the class or even considered a fringe first-round talent, but Kupp has turned out to be one of the best picks from that entire class.

Lions GM Brad Holmes, who was formerly the Rams’ director of college scouting from 2013-2020, shared a story of how Kupp stood out at the Senior Bowl in 2017, which really caught the Rams’ eye. His testing numbers weren’t the best, but he was uncoverable at the Senior Bowl and his GPS time was the fastest in Mobile.

“I’ve told the Cooper Kupp story — that’s more of cognitive bias, in terms of just every time you saw him play football, the guy was good, you liked him. But I remember we saw him at the Senior Bowl, he was the best player on the field. Nobody can cover this dude. He looked explosive. And his shuttle and all that kind of reflected that, but his 40 time was in the 4.6s. He did it at the combine and at the pro day, so the last thing in your head was that 4.6,” Holmes told Chris Burke of The Athletic.

“But, I’ll never forget, it came out that his GPS time at the Senior Bowl was the fastest. So, it’s like, “OK, now that makes sense.” But it was because he was playing football. He looked fast, he looked explosive on the football field. In tights, on that Eastern Washington track, it didn’t look fast.”

Kupp doesn’t win with his speed on the field. That’s not his forte. He gets open because he’s a precise route runner who knows how to set up defensive backs from the slot. And after the catch, he’s difficult to bring down, displaying excellent balance, vision and quickness to avoid tacklers.

As a third-round pick, Kupp has been a certified steal for the Rams. If not for injuries, he’d very likely have three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons already to go along with his 24 touchdowns in just four years.

Kupp is a perfect example of the Rams looking past drills such as the 40-yard dash to identify guys who play faster or are more explosive on the field than they do on the track.

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