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Latest On Cooper Kupp’s Rams Extension

June 20th, 2022 at 10:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

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

June 15th, 2022 at 8:29pm CST by Ben Levine

An updated list of today’s minor moves:

Los Angeles Rams

Seattle Seahawks

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

June 14th, 2022 at 7:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Washington Commanders

Rams COO Optimistic On Odell Beckham Jr. Return; Latest On WR’s ACL Rehab

June 13th, 2022 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

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

June 11th, 2022 at 8:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Browns Unlikely To Bring Back Odell Beckham Jr.

June 10th, 2022 at 1:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

Rams Waive LB Travin Howard

June 8th, 2022 at 8:37pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s been a busy day in Los Angeles. Tucked under the headline of Cooper Kupp‘s extension includes a transaction that saw the Rams moving on from one of their defenders. The team announced earlier today that they have waived linebacker Travin Howard. The linebacker was set to earn $2.5MM next season.

[RELATED: Rams, WR Cooper Kupp Agree To Extension]

Following a collegiate career at LSU that saw him earn two-straight first-team All-Big 12 honors and Alamo Bowl Defensive MVP, Howard was selected by the Rams in the seventh round of the 2018 draft. The linebacker appeared in all 16 games as a rookie, collecting 22 tackles while mostly playing on special teams.

He landed on IR prior to the 2020 campaign, wiping out his season. He returned for 2021 and got into 12 games (tw0 starts), finishing with 21 tackles and an interception. He added another 10 tackles in four postseason games (two starts), and he hauled in the game-clinching interception during the Rams NFC Championship Game victory.

Howard only his starts when rookie Ernest Jones was injured, and the organization also brought in Bobby Wagner at the linebacker position. As a result, Howard was already destined to be a backup at best in 2022, and it sounds like the organization will pivot to a younger option to round out their linebackers corps.

Rams, WR Cooper Kupp Agree To Extension

June 8th, 2022 at 6:31pm CST by Ben Levine

And like that, the Rams have extended another star player. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp has signed a three-year extension with the Rams, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

The three-year extension will be added to the remaining two years on Kupp’s current deal, locking the Super Bowl MVP into what’s essentially a five-year, $110MM deal. That’s about $80MM in new money, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Schefter clarifies on Twitter that Kupp will earn a new $75MM in guaranteed money. Earlier this evening, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport estimated that Kupp and the Rams were zeroing on a three-year deal.

Kupp wasn’t looking to reset the market with his new deal, and while he earned a handsome pay day, it still doesn’t crack the top-five at the position in terms of average annual value. The five-year, $110MM puts Kupp’s AAV at $22MM; that ranks sixth at wide receiver behind Tyreek Hill ($30MM/yr), Davante Adams ($28MM), DeAndre Hopkins ($27.25MM), A.J. Brown ($25MM), and Stefon Diggs ($24MM). In terms of total value, the five upcoming years for Kupp is only rivaled by Adams ($140MM) and Hill ($120MM).

Following an incredible 2021 campaign that saw Kupp lead the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and receiving touchdowns (16) before earning a championship and the Super Bowl MVP, it always seemed inevitable that Kupp would ink a new deal. The team made it clear throughout the offseason that a Kupp extension was a priority, but the team was in no rush to ink the deal with several priorities (including a new contract for Aaron Donald) still unresolved.

Indeed, the organization only inked Donald to a new deal days ago, and they’ve now completed a new contract for Kupp. In only a matter of days, the Rams have committed $205MM to the two players, and while the front office has done an admirable job of getting creative with their cap machinations, there’s no denying the future money the organization has committed to in pursuit of another Super Bowl win. Besides Donald and Kupp, the organization has also handed out a sizable extension to quarterback Matthew Stafford (four years, $160MM) while also signing linebacker Bobby Wagner (five years, $50MM) and wideout Allen Robinson (three years, $46.5MM).

The new deal will keep Kupp in Los Angeles through the 2026 season. This is already Kupp’s third contract, and as Albert Breer of TheMMQB points out on Twitter, this is a good case study in support of shorter extensions being more beneficial for players. Kupp inked a three-year, $48MM extension with the Rams in 2020. The East Washington product entered the NFL as a third-round pick in in 2017.

Kupp was productive as a rookie, but he missed half of his sophomore campaign. The receiver topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2019, and while he exceeded 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2020, the numbers were still a step down from the previous campaign. Then, with Stafford joining the Rams, Kupp exploded, achieving the NFL’s receiving triple crown. His performance in 2021 earned him a number of accolades, including Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Pro.

Rams Closing In On Extension With WR Cooper Kupp

June 8th, 2022 at 5:50pm CST by Ben Levine

The Rams are zeroing in on an another big extension. The organization has made “significant progress” on a new deal with star wideout Cooper Kupp, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). While the deal hasn’t been signed, Rapoport suggests that the deal could be finalized as soon as this evening (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Rams Give Aaron Donald Record-Setting Raise]

While terms haven’t been reported, Rapoport seems to suggest that it will be a three-year pact. The monetary terms remain to be seen, but Rapoport adds that the deal would place Kupp “among” the highest-paid receivers in the NFL, so the AAV would likely be north of $20MM per year. Rapoport says Kupp could even make north of $25MM AAV, putting the projected extension in the range of 3/$75MM.

The Rams’ offseason priorities obviously included the draft and free agency, but once they finished making additions to their squad, the organization pivoted to their current stars. A report from March indicated that the front office would focus on a new deal with Aaron Donald before pivoting to a Kupp extension. It’s only been days since the team finally agreed to a new deal with the star defensive tackle, but the front office has moved quickly to also pay the Super Bowl MVP.

Kupp inked a three-year, $48MM extension with the Rams in 2020, and the two remaining years would likely be tacked on to a new deal. The 28-year-old receiver set himself up for an even bigger payday following a prolific 2021 campaign. Kupp achieved NFL’s receiving Triple Crown after leading the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and receiving touchdowns (16), resulting in him earning a long list of accolades (including Offensive Player of the Year). Kupp followed up his remarkable regular season with an even more memorable postseason, hauling in six touchdowns in four games en route to a Super Bowl championship (and the Super Bowl MVP).

The player’s emergence as one of the league’s top players naturally brought up conversations about a new contract, and there were some who questioned if the increasingly expensive Rams would be able to carve out enough money to sign the wideout to a deal that rivaled some of the lucrative WR contracts (including Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams). However, Kupp made it clear that he wasn’t necessarily looking to reset the market with an extension, and his willingness to take a slight discount likely led to easier negotiations.

Rams Dealing With RB Injuries

June 7th, 2022 at 8:39pm CST by Ben Levine

The Rams are dealing with some injuries to their running backs corps. Head coach Sean McVay told reporters that running back Kyren Williams broke his foot and had surgery (via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic on Twitter). Fortunately, it sounds like Williams will only miss the first few sessions of training camp, but it’s still a tough break for the rookie.

Meanwhile, Darrell Henderson isn’t participating in on-field work as he deals with a “soft-tissue injury.” As Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com writes, Henderson initially aggregated the injury during May OTAs. At the time, McVay indicated that Henderson dealt with the same ailment in 2021, but the RB still managed to appear in 12 games (although he was limited on only a single playoff contest).

While Henderson found himself in and out of the lineup in 2021, he still managed to finish with a career-high 864 yards from scrimmage. Williams was selected in the fifth-round of this year’s draft following a standout career at Notre Dame that saw him collect 31 touchdowns between the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

It’s obviously too early for the Rams to worry about their injury situation, but the team’s depth at RB will certainly be stressed for the time being. The team still has Cam Akers, who led the RB grouping during the Rams’ Super Bowl run, but they lack experienced depth behind him (Henderson and Williams were likely to slot in as the second and third RBs, respectively). As a result, the likes of Jake Funk, Xavier Jones, and Raymond Calais will see increased reps over the next few week, and the current absences could help one of the three snag a final roster spot.

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