Why the Cowboys would be the best fit for available Rams WR Cooper Kupp-ZoomTech News

Final week, veteran receiver Cooper Kupp introduced on social media that the Los Angeles Rams had knowledgeable him that they might search to commerce him. The Rams already broached the likelihood within the lead-up to final season’s commerce deadline, however with the staff nonetheless within the playoff hunt, head coach Sean McVay and common supervisor Les Snead determined to face pat.

Kupp is scheduled to make $20 million if he is on the roster subsequent season, $5 million of which is assured. And he’ll obtain a $7.5 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the brand new league 12 months in March. The Rams are reportedly prepared to pay a few of his contract to facilitate a commerce. 

Regardless of the Rams in search of to deal him, many expertise evaluators consider that Kupp, who turns 32 in June, can nonetheless play. 

“No query,” a longtime NFL scout instructed FOX Sports activities final week. “The Rams simply do not wish to pay the market. He is a [WR] 1 or 2 for nearly any staff. Somebody stated he is misplaced decrease physique quickness. I do not purchase that. Puka [Nacua] won’t ever be him in arms or consciousness.”

Former NFL receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is much more emphatic in his perception in Kupp. “He completely has gasoline within the tank,” he stated. “Premium gasoline at that.”

So the place is the most effective spot for Kupp to land? Keep watch over the Cowboys, who’ve proven a willingness lately to deal for potential playmakers. Final 12 months, they traded a fourth-round choice to the Carolina Panthers for developmental prospect Jonathan Mingo and a seventh-round decide. The 12 months earlier than that, Dallas traded a fourth-round decide to the San Francisco 49ers for quarterback Trey Lance.

By bringing in Kupp, the Cowboys would get an skilled slot receiver who can function as a complement to CeeDee Lamb, among the finest receivers within the league. Kupp additionally matches the way in which new head coach Brian Schottenheimer desires to function his offense, has a household historical past with the Cowboys and a robust reference to the brand new teaching workers. 

Let’s begin with the household connection. Kupp’s father, Craig Kupp, was a fifth-round collection of the New York Giants within the 1990 draft and spent a part of the 1991 season with the Cowboys because the third-string quarterback. Cooper’s paternal grandfather, Jake Kupp, additionally performed for the Cowboys. A star tight finish for the Washington Huskies, Jake was a ninth-round decide by Dallas in 1964 and performed two seasons for the Cowboys earlier than being traded to Washington. 

As for the workers connection, Kupp has a superb relationship with new Dallas receivers coach Junior Adams, who served in that very same position at Japanese Washington when Kupp performed there. Adams was coached at Oregon State by the present Rams receivers coach Eric Yarber, so Adams is aware of how you can get the most effective out of Kupp and is intimately accustomed to his ability set. 

“As laborious as he might be on you, I believe he sees extra in individuals than they see in themselves quite a lot of the time,” Kupp instructed the Seattle Occasions about Adams and his teaching type. “I believe he sees the most effective in individuals as properly, and he desires to convey that out. He undoubtedly pushed me and actually compelled me to simply accept the truth that I may very well be better than what my very own ideas have been.

“I actually credit score quite a lot of my mindset and the way in which that I’ve gone about my entire profession — the mindset I’ve taken into my coaching, into my preparation — I credit score quite a lot of that to Coach Adams.”

Final summer time, the Cowboys bought an up-close have a look at what Kupp can do throughout two joint practices with the Rams at Dallas’ coaching camp facility in Oxnard, California. Kupp spent a while chopping it up with quarterback Dak Prescott after observe.

Kupp is the type of participant who involves work early and leaves late. He would work laborious to develop a superb rapport with Prescott, the identical as he did with Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford throughout the receiver’s time with the Rams. 

Schottenheimer has talked about taking part in sooner and utilizing extra reduce splits, shifts and motions earlier than the snap. In keeping with Subsequent Gen Stats, the Cowboys used movement 60% of the time in 2024, No. 17 within the NFL. Kupp traveled a league-high 2,820 yards earlier than the snap and was in movement an NFL-high 271 occasions in 2024, in line with Subsequent Gen Stats. 

Kupp might additionally assist enhance the operating sport for the Cowboys. For the previous handful of years, he is been among the finest run-blocking receivers within the league, prepared to place his physique into hurt’s manner and block greater gamers close to the road of scrimmage.

Schottenheimer says he desires to run the soccer extra successfully, which hearkens again to his days as Pete Carroll’s offensive coordinator in Seattle. Seven of the highest 10 dashing offenses made the playoffs this previous season, together with two within the NFC East within the Tremendous Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders.  

The Cowboys completed final within the NFL in dashing touchdowns (six) this previous season, and No. 30 in dashing yards per play (3.97). Rico Dowdle had a breakout season, posting a career-high 1,079 yards, however he’s presently a free agent. In his most up-to-date mock draft, FOX Sports activities NFL Draft Analyst Rob Rang has the Cowboys taking standout Boise State operating again Ashton Jeanty, who would improve the Dallas dashing assault.

With Prescott getting back from damage, the potential of Jeanty within the backfield and Kupp within the slot, the Cowboys may very well be again in enterprise in 2025.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, overlaying the Los Angeles Rams for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma Information Tribune. Comply with him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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