Stafford, Kupp Advised Rams On Allen Robinson Signing
- The Rams made a widely applauded move in free agency by signing wideout Allen Robinson as a replacement for Robert Woods and, potentially, Odell Beckham Jr. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the team consulted Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp before finalizing the deal, an interesting tidbit on their decision-making process and confirmation, as Breer writes, of how the pair “will be invested in seeing that Robinson succeeds” in Los Angeles.
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NFC West Rumors: Rams, Seahawks, Wilson, Cardinals
The Rams’ celebration period for their Super Bowl LVI victory over the Bengals has wound down, and it’s time for Los Angeles to start gearing up for a potential repeat. There’s a bit of work to do on the offensive line with the retirement of left tackle Andrew Whitworth and the departure of right guard Austin Corbett in free agency.
According to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop, the Rams have long hoped that 2018 third-round pick Joseph Noteboom would eventually be prepared to fill in when Whitworth finally hung up his cleats. He’ll likely get that opportunity this season. Barshop also mentions that head coach Sean McVay said during minicamp that a competition will take place for the vacant right guard spot. Bobby Evans has been penciled into that starting role since Corbett left for Carolina, but the Rams were reportedly ecstatic to land Wisconsin guard Logan Bruss in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Expect Bruss to push Evans for the starting right guard job this summer.
Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC West, starting with a note out of last year’s fourth-place team in the division:
- Ten years ago, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll relied on preseason games to determine the quarterback competition between Russell Wilson and Matt Flynn. According to Brady Henderson of ESPN, Carroll will stick to his guns and use preseason game-tape as a heavy factor in determining if Geno Smith or trade-acquisition Drew Lock will start Week 1, when Wilson returns to Lumen Field. Carroll has claimed that the team is in “good shape” with its current quarterback room that rosters Smith, Lock, and Jacob Eason.
- Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson turned heads last summer in Arizona and surprised many when he was named a starter alongside Byron Murphy Jr. over veteran free agent addition Robert Alford. After six strong years in Atlanta (five as a full-time starter), Alford was expected to serve as the starting cornerback opposite Murphy while Wilson matured as a rookie at the NFL level. After a pectoral injury ended his season on injured reserve, the Cardinals allowed Alford to hit free agency. There’s still a chance Arizona brings back the 33-year-old, but, even if they do, Cardinals staff writer Darren Urban expects Wilson to retain his starting job opposite Murphy.
- The Cardinals announced some promotions in their scouting staff last week. After spending the last three seasons as the team’s Western regional scout, Josh Scobey has been promoted to director of college scouting going into his 11th season in Arizona. Glen Fox will similarly spend his 10th season with the Cardinals as their director of pro personnel after being promoted from pro scout. Another nine-year Cardinal staffer, John Mancini will spend his 10th season as a national scout after serving previously as an area scout. Zac Canty will become the team’s Central regional scout in his 11th season with the team. Rounding out the organization’s impressive show of longevity, Ryan Gold has been made assistant director of college scouting after eight years with the team in different scouting roles, most recently college scouting coordinator. Lastly, former scouting assistant Alex Valles has been made an area scout for the Cardinals.
Rams CB Jalen Ramsey Underwent Shoulder Surgery
Jalen Ramsey went under the knife today. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the Rams cornerback has surgery on his shoulder. Ramsey is expected to be ready to go for the start of the regular season.
According to Rapoport, Ramsey played all of last season with “tears in both shoulders.” Specifically, the cornerback “played through dual sprained AC joints” for about half the year, per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic (on Twitter). Since Ramsey was recently able to participate in workouts and on-field work, Rodrigue speculates that today’s surgery was merely a clean-up procedure.
Ramsey had another incredible season in 2021, culminating in him earning a Super Bowl ring. He finished the regular season with 77 tackles, 16 passes defended, and four interceptions in 16 games, with Pro Football Focus grading him as the top CB in the NFL. The performance also earned him his fifth Pro Bowl nod and third first-team All-Pro recognition. Ramsey started each of the Rams four playoff contests, collecting another 13 tackles.
The Rams brought in Troy Hill this offseason to pair with Ramsey. Since Ramsey will presumably be limited during the preseason, Robert Rochell, David Long Jr., and Decobie Durant should have more opportunities to compete for the third spot on the depth chart.
Latest On Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. remains in the unusual position of being one of the most talented free agents still available, yet one without a significant market at the moment. As he continues to recover from a torn ACL, much will depend on his health at the start of the season in determining where he plays in 2022. 
[RELATED: Browns Unlikely To Sign Beckham]
The Rams remain the team most closely linked to the 29-year-old, given his performance late in the regular season and during their Super Bowl run after acquiring him. Since he won’t be available by Week 1 of the upcoming season, though, the team has confirmed that there is a lack of urgency for all parties involved in making a reunion official.
Still, Los Angeles remains “optimistic” that a deal will eventually get done, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Bleacher Report). Given how deep into the fall the three-time Pro Bowler will be upon his return to full health, Fowler adds that Beckham could choose to remain on the open market into the start of the season and “take his time” in making a decision on where to sign. In that event, injuries or other circumstances could bring teams not currently in need of pass-catching help into consideration for him.
The Rams have also prepared themselves for life without Beckham, having signed Allen Robinson to pair with the recently-extended Cooper Kupp. Considering the number of pieces on their roster which will return in 2022, though, they are likely to contend for another Super Bowl, something Fowler states will “likely” be Beckham’s top consideration when deciding where to sign. If he were to go back to L.A., the LSU alum would be well set-up to replicate his impressive performance with Matt Stafford and the Rams’ offense.
Other veteran wideouts, including Julio Jones, remain on the open market, so their ultimate destinations could play a role in determining Beckham’s next NFL home as well. Even after the offseason is complete, though, the question of where he will be suiting up may very well remain unanswered.
Latest On Cooper Kupp’s Rams Extension
Cooper Kupp completed one of the greatest seasons in wide receiver history, leading the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. The breakthrough star then delivered throughout the Rams’ playoff run, adding 478 yards to his regular-season total to finish his 21-game season with a preposterous 2,425.
The veteran slot receiver entered the offseason tied to a three-year deal worth $48MM — one he signed in September 2020. Kupp’s Matthew Stafford partnership produced a season in which the former Division I-FCS prospect eclipsed his previous single-season yardage best by more than 700, and that performance led to offseason renegotiations. Rather than a restructure or a one-year bump, Kupp scored a three-year, $80MM extension. Becoming the rare player to sign two big-ticket accords less than two years apart, Kupp is now a top-five wage-earner at his position.
Kupp, 29, said he did not push to be the league’s highest-paid receiver, instead joining Stafford in working toward an extension that made sense for both team and player. The Super Bowl LVI MVP is closer to the NFL’s highest-paid wideout than Stafford is to being its highest-paid QB, at $26.7MM per year (the fourth-highest receiver AAV), however. Then again, receivers do not have as many chances to cash in compared to quarterbacks.
“There was a lot of trust involved on each side, that we wouldn’t come to this place and treat it like a negotiation at all. We tried to have a conversation and figure out what it looks like for them, balancing the things that were important for them and the things that were important for us,” Kupp said, via Albert Breer of SI.com.
“And how can we get to a place where we’re, at the end, both shaking hands and feeling good, both feeling good about what we have ahead of us? We were able to have that conversation, and it’s not writing a number on a piece of paper and just passing it back and forth until you whittle each other down. The collaborative approach, to me, just allowed us to fully understand it and find that place.”
Los Angeles’ third Kupp contract, which came with $70MM in total guarantees, runs through the 2026 season. While this accord only includes $35MM guaranteed at signing (13th among wideouts), Breer adds $35MM shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in March 2023. With Kupp all but certain to be on the Rams’ roster at that point, he is poised to collect that full $70MM amount.
Kupp and Aaron Donald‘s deals created nearly $4MM in Rams cap space this year, but the former’s numbers spike in 2023. Kupp will be tied to his largest cap number of the deal ($27.8MM) next year, per OverTheCap.com. Of the defending champions’ big three extensions this offseason, only Donald’s — a defender-record $31.6MM-per-year agreement — used void years to spread out the cap hits.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/15/22
An updated list of today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: TE Jared Pinkney, RB A.J. Rose
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: DE Alex Tchangam
Pinkney, a 2020 undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt, bounced around the NFL for much of the 2021 campaign, spending time with the Titans, Lions (two stints), and Rams. He got into a pair of games for Los Angeles, starting one.
Rose had a productive college career at Kentucky before going undrafted during the 2021 draft. He spent his entire rookie campaign with the Vikings organization but didn’t get into a game.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/14/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Wyatt Ray
- Placed on IR: DE/OLB Jordan Smith
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: C Darryl Williams
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: LB Travin Howard
Washington Commanders
- Signed: OT Willie Beavers, DT Justin Hamilton
Rams COO Optimistic On Odell Beckham Jr. Return; Latest On WR’s ACL Rehab
The Rams continue to be the team most closely connected to Odell Beckham Jr., but a deal does not appear imminent. Both OBJ’s side and the team seem willing to wait, which makes sense due to the talented wide receiver’s ACL recovery timetable.
Rams COO Kevin Demoff said a lack of urgency exists for both the team and the player, though the longtime team exec confirmed what Sean McVay and Les Snead have this offseason: the team wants Beckham back.
“With Odell, I think, given the rehab [and] the timeline of coming back probably mid-to-later in the year, I just think that the sense of urgency both from his side and probably from our side — and maybe other teams — is not right there, for him,” Demoff said, via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue (subscription required).
“… Both sides have had open dialogue, both sides [are] respectful, excited and couldn’t be more grateful for what Odell did for our team last year — and the chance to meet him and watch him flourish in L.A.”
It is safe to say the ACL tear Beckham suffered during the second quarter of Super Bowl LVI derailed his hopes of landing a lucrative deal this offseason. For a player who has dealt with injuries for much of the past five years, the Super Bowl represented a bittersweet event. Barely a month later, the Rams gave Allen Robinson a three-year, $45MM deal. And they now have Cooper Kupp tied to the most guaranteed money ($75MM) of any wideout. Beyond Browns rumors, which may be dying down, not much has developed on the OBJ front in recent weeks.
Still, Rams bigwigs have consistently spoken about the hope of a second Beckham contract — even after the top-market deals for Kupp and Aaron Donald. The team gained $3MM-plus in cap space from the Donald and Kupp deals; it currently sits with $7.6MM in room.
“If we didn’t have a salary cap, we could’ve signed Odell months ago and would’ve loved to,” Demoff said. “Is it a multiyear deal? Is it a one-year deal? All kinds of variables that come into Odell. The one variable that hasn’t changed is how much we love him and want him to be there. I think he’s expressed, over social, his desire to be here.
“Am I optimistic we can get a deal done over time? Yes.”
The lack of urgency comes into play regarding Beckham’s window to return to action. While the 29-year-old pass catcher will not be ready to start the regular season, pointing to a possible PUP-list stay (if OBJ is rostered to start the season), Rodrigue notes it might be longer before he suits up. Beckham’s rehab timetable may point to a late-November return, based on where he was in his rehab earlier this offseason. If his current free agency run comes down to one-year offers, being out until the regular season’s second half is quite relevant.
A multiyear deal — coming from a team that believes Beckham can return at or close to the form he showed down the stretch for the Rams — could benefit said team, tying Beckham down through 2023 or beyond. That would represent a somewhat risky pact, given Beckham’s two ACL tears since November 2020, but it would double as a buy-low opportunity. That said, Beckham might want to ink a 2022-only accord in an effort to make a non-injury-marred run at a lucrative contract in free agency next year.
Rams' Extensions Create Cap Space
- The Rams‘ big-ticket extensions for Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp will create a bit of cap room in 2022. The defending Super Bowl champions are gaining $3.63MM in space, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, with Donald tied to a $24MM cap number and Kupp tethered to a $17.8MM figure. Los Angeles’ Donald and Kupp deals occurred two days apart. Donald is now the game’s highest-paid non-quarterback, while Kupp’s new pact checks in at $26.7MM per year — fourth among wideouts — and carries a receiver-high $75MM guaranteed.
Browns Unlikely To Bring Back Odell Beckham Jr.
The Browns have gone through internal discussions about re-signing Odell Beckham Jr., and beyond Amari Cooper, the team has an experience void at wide receiver. Through that lens, it is not surprising the team has been connected to veterans.
But Cleveland should be expected to look elsewhere, in the event its wideout need becomes too pressing to ignore. The Browns are unlikely to bring back Beckham, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Although the former Pro Bowler said months ago he was open to the idea of returning to Cleveland, his fit might be clunky. Even with OBJ’s former Browns teammates consistently offering praises, despite last year’s awkward ending to his two-plus-season-season tenure, Beckham was inconsistent in both Freddie Kitchens and Kevin Stefanski‘s offenses and battled injuries for much of his time in Ohio. Some of Beckham’s inconsistency can be blamed on Baker Mayfield, and OBJ’s camp certainly took that route upon forcing the 2021 divorce that led the marquee wideout to Los Angeles. But the Browns’ passing attack has not exactly stabilized.
Deshaun Watson is facing a lengthy suspension; the prospect of another missed season should not be dismissed. That would leave the Browns in limbo, with the team intent on trading Mayfield. And Beckham’s Super Bowl LVI ACL tear — his second such injury in 15 months — is expected to sideline him until at least midseason.
The Rams still want Beckham back. The 29-year-old standout crashed Sean McVay‘s wedding last weekend, doing so after McVay made more comments about eyeing a reunion with the eight-year veteran. Beckham’s NFC championship game and Super Bowl performances had him on track to be one of this year’s highest-paid free agents, but his second-quarter injury closed that avenue. The Rams have Allen Robinson signed to a $15MM-per-year deal, just completed their long-rumored Cooper Kupp raise ($80MM in new money) and have Day 2 picks Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell.
Robinson and Jefferson would seemingly hold down the fort until Beckham returns, should he suit up for the Rams again. But OBJ has been patient for a better offer here. Meanwhile, the Browns have third-year target Donovan Peoples-Jones primed to be Cooper’s top complementary option. Third-round rookie David Bell will be given a chance to fill in alongside that tandem.