When he signed with the Los Angeles Rams before the 2017 season, former USC standout Robert Woods was seen as a solid if unspectacular NFL wide receiver. After turning in a career-best performance in 2017, Woods broke out into stardom in his second year with the Rams, notching his first 1000-yard receiving season.
Woods’ route-running skills have been fully exploited in head coach Sean McVay’s trademark offensive system, and he has become a fan-favorite in his hometown of Los Angeles. While Woods undoubtedly deserves most of the credit for his incredible 2018, his targets also increased after fellow wideout Cooper Kupp tore his ACL in Week 10 and was sidelined for the rest of the season.
However, Woods believes he has always been able to reach the level of production that he did in 2018 and believes he can even do better going forward, per Gary Klein of the LA Times:
“Just the start of it,” Woods said last week as the Rams concluded voluntary offseason workouts, “I feel like last year was a taste of what I knew I had, what other people saw a glimpse of.”
Woods turned 27 in April and will enter the third season his five-year contract with the Rams this fall. He only carries a $7.2 cap hit in 2019, well below the value of the player he has become on the Rams. Woods could be in line for a pay raise in the near future if he keeps playing like he has been, and he knows it:
“Just come out and tear it up,” Woods said of his plan for the upcoming season. “Be myself, play every game and really do a lot of damage and prove to be the best — and get the price to match.”
Woods presents just one of several tough financial decisions the Rams will have to make soon. They will likely give quarterback and former first overall pick Jared Goff a massive contract extension rivaling the four-year, $107 million guaranteed deal that Carson Wentz, selected right after Goff, just received from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Additionally, Aaron Donald, Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks will all receive major pay raises as part of their already-signed extensions, and the Rams have several defensive players on cheap or rookie contracts that will eventually have to be addressed.
While the Rams have not hesitated to lock up players they consider part of their long-term core, it remains to be seen whether they consider Woods part of that group despite his stellar play.
