The Los Angeles Rams will be relying heavily on their wide receiver tandem of Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp to help spark a resurgence in the 2020 NFL season at SoFi Stadium.
The Rams’ 1-2 punch has quietly emerged into one of the most productive receiving duos in the league in recent years. Their status as go-to weapons for quarterback Jared Goff has provided the team with plenty of bang for their buck thanks to Woods outplaying his five-year, $34 million contract while Kupp enters the final year of his rookie deal.
However, the time has come for the Rams to start taking steps toward securing this tandem for the long haul. Woods has already voiced his desire to receive a lucrative payday that will keep him with the team for the rest of his career.
Meanwhile, Kupp is also nearing the end of his rookie deal and will undoubtedly be a top priority for head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead. Despite the speculation regarding the looming negotiations, he is focused on the 2020 campaign, via Grant Gordon of NFL.com:
“I love it here. I don’t want go anywhere,” Kupp said Friday. “But, you know, in terms of all the contract stuff, I’m really letting all that stuff be handled by my agent and staying out of it.”
It is encouraging to see that Cupp is focused on the task at hand following an unprecedented offseason due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Regardless, there will continue to be a spotlight on the contract status of the team’s key free agents-to-be.
Kupp bounced back in spectacular fashion by finishing the 2019 campaign with 94 receptions for 1,161 and 10 touchdowns. His rapport with Goff should help serve as a stabilizing factor for this offense given all the turnover they experienced at the skill positions this offseason.
Although the receiving corps took a major hit with the departure of Brandin Cooks this offseason, the Rams are confident that Josh Reynolds and Van Jefferson are more than capable of filling the void. The emergence of either one of them would pay huge dividends toward maintaining the three-headed monster in this group.
The Rams are expected to have roughly $42,732,083 in cap space heading into the 2021 offseason. With cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s contract being a top priority, Kupp joins Woods and safety John Johnson III as some of the more notable players left to take care of.
