Tag: Cooper Kupp

Zac Taylor highlights two similarities between Cooper Kupp and Ja’Marr Chase

The Bengals coach mentioned Cooper Kupp’s body control and run-after-the-catch ability when discussing Ja’Marr Chase’s skillset.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor spent two years with the Los Angeles Rams on Sean McVay’s staff in 2017 and 2018, first as an assistant wide receivers coach and then as the quarterbacks coach. He worked closely with Cooper Kupp during his time in L.A. and now he’ll get to coach Ja’Marr Chase, the star rookie out of LSU who was the first receiver drafted this year.

On the “Flying Coach” podcast with Sean McVay and Peter Schrager, Taylor interestingly drew a couple comparisons between Kupp and Chase, which wasn’t necessarily expected given their different playing styles and athletic profiles.

“Playmaker is the first word you use,” he said of Chase. “And it’s not just outside as an X-receiver down the field making 50-50 contested plays. This guy’s got a great understanding of the nuances of route running. He’s patient. He’s got really strong hands. His lower body is similar to a running back. I mean, he’s six feet, 207. Similar to Cooper Kupp in the sense that he’s got unbelievable body control. He’s running full speed but when he judges where the ball is at, he can shut his body down and have that great control to have that great run after the catch to maximize it. Oh yeah, and is hard to bring down on first contact just like Cooper. He usually makes that first guy miss or pulls through the tackle and then he’s got the top-end speed.”

Kupp doesn’t have great speed and isn’t the most explosive athlete, but he does have great body control, strong hands and is excellent after the catch, as Taylor mentioned. Kupp finished sixth in the NFL last season with 525 yards after the catch, showing his elusiveness.

Chase could go on to win Rookie of the Year, but Kupp is a great player in his own right and each player should be flattered by these comparisons from Taylor.

Matthew Stafford: Cooper Kupp is ‘one of the smartest guys I’ve played with’

Matthew Stafford raved about Cooper Kupp’s football IQ and his ability to understand defenses.

Matthew Stafford is officially in the second chapter of his career after being traded from the Lions to the Rams, and with this new start comes a fresh group of receivers to throw to. Cooper Kupp will be one of Stafford’s favorite targets this season and the two have been working closely together during OTAs and minicamp.

Stafford had some very high praise for Kupp this week when asked about how their chemistry has developed, mentioning that the Rams wideout is one of the smartest players he’s ever taken the field with.

“It’s been great. He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve played with,” Stafford said. “His understanding of this offense and what defenses are trying to do is pretty special and something that as a quarterback, it’s pretty fun to have a guy out there that’s thinking and seeing the game the same way that you are. That’s a special trait of his, something that I know he’s worked extremely hard on and we’re just trying to have dialogue. Some of these routes are his choice or are we seeing the Mike change the coverage? So we’re just trying to sit there and as we’re watching other guys go, talk about what we might’ve done in that situation and what he would expect from me and what I would expect from him. Just constantly trying to make sure we’re on the same page and able to execute.”

Kupp and Robert Woods were Jared Goff’s two most reliable targets over the last four years, consistently making plays for their quarterback – particularly after the catch. Stafford has played with Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Calvin Johnson in his career, but Woods and Kupp are excellent players in their own right.

If Stafford can develop a strong connection with both receivers before the season begins, he’ll be in for a big first year with the Rams.

Watch: Cooper Kupp makes ridiculous one-handed catch for TD in practice

Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford connected on this beautiful throw and catch in practice.

Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp have been developing chemistry during OTAs the last couple of weeks, working together in practice to get ready for their first season as teammates in L.A.

The Rams are taking things easy this spring and not running things at full speed, but that hasn’t stopped Kupp from looking like he’s already in midseason form. He made a spectacular one-handed catch on a throw from Stafford Tuesday, leaping in the air to pull it in, while still getting both feet down in the end zone for a would-be touchdown.

Check out the video shared by the Rams below.

There wasn’t much Donte Deayon could do in coverage there, as it was just a perfect ball from Stafford and an even better grab by Kupp.

With all the talk of the Rams possibly going after Julio Jones, Kupp is doing his best to show L.A. already has a No. 1 receiver who can make spectacular catches.

Look: Cooper Kupp trained on his own custom field in a barn this offseason

Cooper Kupp turned a barn into a small football field with his own logo on it.

During the COVID-19 pandemic last year, players found new ways to train and stay in shape while they couldn’t practice and work out at their teams’ facility. Andrew Whitworth turned his garage into a gym that’s now used by himself and the Rams’ other top linemen. Cooper Kupp turned a barn into his own custom football field, which he’s been training on this offseason.

He shared a video of himself and his son on the field running, calling it the “Field of Dreams.” And take note of the logo in the middle. Yeah, that’s Kupp’s logo, which he debuted last year when he switched to No. 10.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPEClscAXsX/

Here’s another look a the field and logo, which Kupp shared earlier this offseason.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CM0emvpAWsv/

It’s great to see players such as Kupp and Whitworth maximize the opportunity to spend time with their families during this difficult time, even doing so while still working out and training for the season.

Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp ranked among 32 best WRs in NFL

Pro Football Focus ranked both Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods among the top 32 receivers in the league.

Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp became a strong wide receiver tandem for the Rams when they both arrived in Los Angeles in 2017. Woods joined as a free agent, while Kupp was a fan favorite as a third-round pick.

Since then, they’ve both developed and improved, becoming one of the best duos in football. Woods has averaged 69 yards per game with the Rams, with Kupp averaging 66.1 yards per game himself. they have 47 total touchdowns combined in the last four seasons and are seen as WR1A and WR1B in L.A.

But where do they rank among the other top receivers in the NFL? Pro Football Focus’ Anthony Treash ranked the top 32 receivers in football heading into the 2021 season and both Woods and Kupp made the cut – in consecutive spots, too.

Woods was 29th, with Kupp one place behind him at No. 30.

Here’s what Treash wrote about Woods, who has improved dramatically since going from the Bills to the Rams.

Woods has recorded a higher receiving grade in each of his four campaigns with the Rams than in any of his seasons with the Bills. He ranks among the 15 highest-graded wide receivers since 2017 while also slotting into the top five in both yards after the catch per reception (5.6) and percentage of catchable targets caught (92.8%).

And here was his take on Kupp, who “isn’t higher on this list because of his ability, or lack thereof, to effectively win on his own from the outside.” As primarily a slot receiver, that’s not exactly a hot take.

Kupp has consistently been one of the NFL’s most productive slot receivers since he was drafted out of Eastern Washington in 2017. His 2.12 yards per route run from the slot over the past four years is the fourth-highest mark among wide receivers. He also ranks second in broken tackles forced after the catch from the slot (27) and is tied for first in yards after the catch per reception on those same reps (6.0).

The Rams also have Van Jefferson, DeSean Jackson and Tutu Atwell at wide receiver, making this one of the deepest receiving corps anywhere in the league. Woods and Kupp will get the bulk of the targets, but those other three receivers will make an impact, too.

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Watch: Matthew Stafford throwing to Cooper Kupp in practice

Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp are building their chemistry in OTAs.

Matthew Stafford will officially make his Rams debut in Week 1 against the Bears on Sept. 12 at SoFi Stadium, but he’ll be building a rapport with his top receivers in the coming months.

With Phase II of the team’s offseason program underway, Stafford and his teammates are on the field practicing in non-contact drills. Cooper Kupp figures to be one of his two favorite receivers this season, and the two were connecting in Tuesday’s session.

The Rams shared a video of Stafford hitting Kupp on an out route, though because of the league’s rules, they couldn’t have a defender covering the wideout.

Cooper Kupp has funny reaction to Rams’ ever-growing receiving corps

Cooper Kupp had a funny response to the Rams drafting three new pass-catchers.

Few teams put three wide receivers on the field together as often as Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams. With how deep their receiving corps is coming out of the draft, they might have to utilize even more four-wide packages, though.

Despite already having Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Van Jefferson and DeSean Jackson at wide receiver, Los Angeles drafted two more receivers in Tutu Atwell and Ben Skowronek. They also selected uber-athletic tight end Jacob Harris in the fourth round to join Tyler Higbee and Brycen Hopkins.

Kupp had a funny response to the NFL drafting a bunch of skill players, asking the NFL when it’s going to let teams have six eligible receivers on the field so the Rams can capitalize.

If you count Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson, too, the Rams are extremely deep on offense at just about every spot. Kupp and Woods will get most of the targets, but there are a lot of mouths to feed and only five eligible receivers on any given play.

Matthew Stafford should be loving it, though, with all the new targets he has in L.A.

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Cooper Kupp donating $15K worth of Nike apparel to Inglewood students

Cooper Kupp is making a nice donation to students in the Inglewood Unified School District.

Cooper Kupp continues to give back to the community in Southern California with yet another kind gesture. The Rams announced Friday that Kupp is donating $15,000 worth of Nike gear to students in the Inglewood Unified School District for maintaining good attendance, participation and engagement.

The donation includes shirts, shorts and sweatshirts from Nike.

“Anna and I are really excited to partner with Inglewood Unified again this year to provide Nike apparel to the kids in LA that are setting the standard for what high character and intrinsic motivation looks like,” Kupp said in a statement. “Getting an education while also respecting, loving, and positively challenging your peers are qualities that this world desperately needs.”

Last year, Kupp also donated $15,000 in Nike apparel to the Inglewood Unified School District, which shows that wasn’t a one-off donation. That gear went to 23 at-promise students and families for the 2020 school year, which was especially difficult for students due to the pandemic.

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DeSean Jackson: Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are ‘two of the best doing it’

DeSean Jackson is excited to join the Rams’ receiving corps that features Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods.

Sean McVay and the Rams brought DeSean Jackson back home to Los Angeles this offseason by signing him to a one-year contract as a free agent. Not only does he get to return to Southern California, but he reunites with McVay and joins a receiving corps that won’t require him to be the No. 1 or even No. 2 option.

Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp will be Matthew Stafford’s top two targets, while Jefferson and Jackson will contribute as the third and fourth options. In a one-on-one interview shared by the Rams, Jackson is excited to be a part of this receiver group, calling Woods and Kupp two of the best wideouts in the league right now.

“Two of the best doing it. Been doing it a long time,” he said. “I’ve been watching, been fans of both of them and I’m glad to be an addition to them. For me, I just know how scary it is for those defensive coordinators and defenses to line up versus three Pro Bowl receivers. We’re doing it. Let’s go.”

At the end of the video, Jackson had a message for Rams fans, saying he has high expectations for himself. He also asked them for as much support as possible next season, as the Rams try to win a Super Bowl.

“Rams fans, I’m going to tell y’all like this. A lot of expectations for myself and for y’all. We just need y’all support. We need y’all to get as loud as possible. We just need all the support in the world. We’re going to work hard and we’re going to bring those dubs to y’all, so let’s go.”

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Cooper Kupp has funny response to Aaron Donald’s crazy footwork video

Aaron Donald isn’t just working on his footwork. He’s improving his ball-tracking skills, too.

Every offseason, fans get to marvel over the incredible footwork of Aaron Donald. He and his trainer routinely share videos of him going through footwork drills in the spring and summer, showcasing his insane quickness and speed – especially considering he’s 280 pounds.

A new footwork video surfaced on Twitter this week and Cooper Kupp had to chime in. He joked about Donald tracking a ball over his shoulder about two-thirds of the way through the video, showing off another element of his game.

Kupp said it’s “about time” Donald learned to track the ball over his outside shoulder. Donald replied, saying he’s trying to get his hands as good as Kupp’s.

Donald isn’t going to line up at wide receiver any time soon, but if J.J. Watt can catch touchdown passes, who’s to say Donald can’t, too? It’s more fun to imagine Donald getting goal line carries as a fullback.