Potential Suitor for Rams' Cooper Kupp Seemingly Eliminated

The Los Angeles Rams plan on trading WR Cooper Kupp this offseason. However, one contender may already be mathematically eliminated.

Dec 10, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) runs past Baltimore Ravens cornerback Arthur Maulet (10) after a catch during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams are back to the drawing board, figuring out how to improve as a team to make a deeper run into the playoffs next season. One of the first moves the Rams made this offseason was to let veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp know they were trading him as soon as possible.

Kupp has spent his entire career with the Rams. Eight seasons later, the two sides will part ways to help the Rams save money this offseason and improve their roster in other ways.

Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic noted that while Kupp would be a solid addition to a lackluster group of wide receivers, other factors could make a trade between the Rams and Ravens a bit more difficult.

"The Ravens will need to add to their receiving corps this offseason with both their No. 3 receiver (Nelson Agholor) and No. 4 (Tylan Wallace) eligible for free agency," Zrebiec said. "Quarterback Lamar Jackson loves working in the middle of the field, where Kupp is so dangerous. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta will also have as many as 11 draft picks to work with, so dealing two Day 3 selections for offensive help isn’t a difficult price to pay.

Specifically, Zrebiec noted that the teams would have to work out Kupp's contract issue, as it is the main reason the Rams are trading him. They would undoubtedly like to get out from underneath as much of the contract as possible, but the team they trade Kupp to will likely push back on letting the Rams off the hook for all of the money still owed to Kupp.

"The big question would be whether the Ravens can make the money work, and that’s certainly debatable," Zrebiec said. Still, they loved Kupp coming out of the 2017 draft and were disappointed when the Rams selected him five spots ahead of them in the third round. This could be a low-cost, better-later-than-never addition."

"The financial aspect is what will really make or break any potential Kupp trade. His new team would owe him $20 million in 2025 and $19.85 million in 2026, unless the Rams agree to retain some of his salary or the new team renegotiates the deal. That's asking a lot of the Ravens, who don't have a lot of cap space to work with. Kupp could absolutely make an impact in Baltimore, but right now, the cap situation seems like a tall hurdle to overcome."

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