In the lead up to last season, LA Rams general manager Les Snead spoke about the three pillars that he wanted to rebuild his team around – Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp. With Aaron Donald having retired prior to this season, could the second of those pillars be about to fall?

According to reports, not only have the Rams been receiving calls about Cooper Kupp but they have been actively ringing other teams to gauge their interest in trading for the 31-year-old receiver. So, why have the team changed their viewpoint on Kupp and are now willing to move on from him?

Kupp is the second highest earning player on the Rams’ roster, carrying a cap hit of almost $30 million this season, the second most amongst wide receivers in the league. The Rams haven’t been getting the production they have paid for, though. Since Kupp’s triple crown season of 2021, he has only managed to appear in 23 of the 41 regular season games the Rams have played, and he has been injured since week 2 this season. Also, Puka Nacua has emerged over the past year to lead the Rams’ receiving corps and so the Rams’ dependence on Kupp as a playmaker has significantly lessened in his absence. The combination of the Rams not needing him quite as much as they once did and them not being able to rely on him as much as they would like means that now might be a good time to move on from him, especially when you consider the Rams have started this season 2–4 and look unlikely to be mounting a Super Bowl challenge. An issue for teams looking to move for Kupp is his large contract, but the Rams have suggested they are willing to take on some of his salary to help facilitate a move. They will be expecting a second-round pick in return, though, which may seem like a steep price for many teams. Regardless, Kupp is still one of the top receivers in the league, when he is fit, and he is certain to be attracting interest from a lot of teams. So, who could these teams be?

A few days ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wouldn’t have been on this list. Then, against the Ravens on Monday Night Football, Chris Godwin dislocated his ankle and Mike Evans strained his hamstring. Godwin is likely out for the season and Evans is unlikely to play until week 12. Suddenly, the 4-3 Buccaneers, with the third ranked offense in points scored, has an extremely weak receiving room. Cooper Kupp could be the ideal remedy, not just for this season but also beyond. Kupp’s ability to collect yards after the catch makes him a perfect replacement for Godwin this year and, with the Buccaneers wide receiver being out of contract at the end of this season, beyond. He should be able to get to grips with the new offense pretty quickly too as his new OC would be Liam Coen, who led the Rams’ offense in 2022 and worked with Kupp for three years prior to that. A move for Kupp makes a lot of sense for Tampa Bay.

The Steelers heavily pursued Brandon Aiyuk in the offseason and, reportedly, were interested in Davante Adams, before he joined the Jets. Now that another top wide receiver, in Kupp, appears to be available, will the Steelers look to make it third time lucky? They are a team that is in need of help at wide receiver with Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin currently the next options behind George Pickens. Kupp’s route running and ability to gain yards after the catch would complement Pickens’ deeper threat and ability to make contested catches, while Kupp’s blocking ability in the run game would surely appeal to Arthur Smith. With the Steelers being 5-2, they are well positioned this season and the addition of Kupp could be just what this offense needs to push on to greater successes.

The Washington Commanders are the surprise team of this season, currently sitting atop the NFC East with a 5-2 record and the joint best offense in the league, in terms of points scored. Jayden Daniels has lit up the league and this is despite having limited receiving options, other than Terry McLaurin. The addition of Cooper Kupp would give Daniels a reliable option in the middle of the field, which would also further unleash McLaurin, and Kupp’s blocking ability would also massively benefit Daniels’ run game.

One thing that the Commanders have in their favour is that they are one of the few teams that could easily afford Kupp’s salary. They have almost $25 million in cap space and so have the financial flexibility to absorb or rework Kupp’s large contract. It is likely that Washington didn’t expect to be in a position to challenge quite this early in Daniels’ career but after this excellent start, going all in on their offense could be a very wise move.

Another offense that is lighting up the NFL this year is the offense of the Detroit Lions. If it has a weakness, it is probably the depth at the wide receiver position. Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the very best in the league, but the Lions could do with a really solid option behind him. Jameson Williams is having a decent year, but he is a very different type of receiver to Kupp with his pace and downfield ability, and he is about to serve a two-match suspension for a PES violation. It is true that bringing in a pass rusher is of greater urgency to the Lions, after Aidan Hutchinson’s injury, but the Lions have, undoubtedly, a real chance of winning the Lombardi Trophy this season and should be looking at any move that could help them achieve this.

The Lions have the cap space to make a deal and the relationship between the two teams increases the chance of this trade happening. Lions general manager Brad Holmes worked with Les Snead at the Rams for nine years and as opposing GMs they have already worked out one blockbuster trade in the Matthew Stafford-Jared Goff swap. As for Goff himself, the former Rams quarterback, who is having an MVP level season, played with Kupp for the first four seasons of Kupp’s career and the pair were close and had a very good connection on the field. A move to Detroit would be very productive for both Kupp and the Lions and could end in Super Bowl rings.

A trade move where he wouldn’t even have to move house would obviously have a certain appeal to Cooper Kupp. The team that shares SoFi stadium with the Rams are currently sitting at 3-3 in Jim Harbaugh’s first year in LA and it is their offense that is holding them back. While they have the number one defense in the league, in terms of points allowed, their offense is the fifth worst, in terms of points scored. In particular, it is their passing game that has been unproductive with the Chargers ranked 29th in passing yards and dead last in passes completed. Part of this is due to Harbaugh’s focus on the running game but the biggest issue is that the Chargers have one of the weakest wide receiver rooms in the league. Rookie Ladd McConkey leads the team with just 265 receiving yards and there are currently 62 players in the NFL who have more receiving yards than any Charger. They desperately need a WR1 and Cooper Kupp would be an excellent fit for them. His route running and ability to get yards after the catch would work well in Jim Harbaugh’s system, as would his ability to block for the run game. With a quarterback of the quality of Justin Herbert throwing to him, Cooper Kupp would give another dimension to this offense and help the Chargers seriously compete for a spot in the postseason.

The issue is Kupp’s age, fitness concerns and the money he would earn. These are all reasons why Harbaugh decided to move on from Keenan Allen and Mike Williams in the offseason and while Kupp would automatically improve this team, the Chargers may not wish to spend what is required to bring him in.

Dan Rowe

Who could trade for Cooper Kupp?

CHECK OUT OUR SOCIALS DOWN BELOW:

@THEFRANCHISETAGPOD