The trade market was not hot for Cooper Kupp, likely because of two reasons: his contract and the fact that teams knew the Los Angeles Rams were moving on from him no matter what.
Now that he’s a free agent, there’s going to be a long line of suitors for the veteran receiver. Adam Schefter said on ESPN that “at least a dozen teams have called in and expressed interest in exploring a deal with Cooper Kupp,” so he won’t have any trouble finding a new home after being cut by the Rams.
It’ll come down to fit and money as Kupp searches for his next team. Reading the tea leaves and looking at the depth charts of teams across the league, these nine franchises are logical fits for Kupp in free agency.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers just brought back Mike Williams, they could still use another receiver to go with him and Ladd McConkey – especially with Joshua Palmer out of the picture now. The biggest benefit to signing with the Chargers is that Kupp wouldn’t need to move. He could stay in Los Angeles without having to uproot his family, and he’s talked countless times about how much he enjoys the community in L.A.
Plus, he’d get to play with a premier quarterback in Justin Herbert and a fantastic coach in Jim Harbaugh. This might be the best landing spot for Kupp and his family.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars were considered the betting favorite to land Kupp as recently as this week and they still make a lot of sense. Liam Coen is the head coach and he was previously the Rams’ assistant WRs coach and offensive coordinator. James Gladstone, the Jaguars’ general manager, was in the Rams’ front office when they drafted Kupp.
Plus, Jacksonville has a glaring need for pass catchers after cutting Evan Engram and trading Christian Kirk. You can bet Coen would have the perfect plan for Kupp, which could entice the wideout to join the Jags.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos have Courtland Sutton and a bunch of young receivers with some potential, but Kupp would be a valuable addition to that group. He’d help coach up the wideouts and give Bo Nix a reliable target over the middle with Sutton being almost exclusively a boundary receiver.
Kupp can do for Nix what he did for Jared Goff early in his career, becoming that trustworthy slot receiver who knows how to get open against zone.
Seattle Seahawks
Watching Kupp face his former team twice a year would be tough for Rams fans to swallow but removing emotion from the equation, the Seahawks would be a great fit. Kupp is from Washington so outside of staying in L.A., Seattle is probably his next choice location-wise.
The Seahawks just moved on from Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf so their receiving corps is barren at this point in time. The one hurdle is that Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a slot receiver like Kupp, so they play a similar position, but neither player is exclusively a slot guy.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have CeeDee Lamb but outside of that, there isn’t a lot of talent at wide receiver – which is why it’s considered one of the top needs for Dallas. Lamb excels in the slot but he’s a play-anywhere receiver who can line up at every position. Kupp would be a quality chain-mover for Dak Prescott, allowing Lamb to work more intermediate and deep routes down the field.
An added bonus? New Cowboys WRs coach Junior Adams coached Kupp at Eastern Washington, so they have a connection.
New England Patriots
From a need standpoint, the Patriots make sense. Kupp is also reportedly “curious” about joining them so he could have interest in connecting with Drake Maye on the other side of the country. While the Patriots are a team that could improve significantly next season under new coach Mike Vrabel, they don’t offer Kupp the best chance to win a championship right away.
They could offer him the most money, though, sitting with the most cap space in the NFL.
Detroit Lions
Albert Breer mentioned in his column that he “loves” the fit of the Lions for Kupp. They have Jared Goff at quarterback and Brad Holmes as the GM, both of whom were with the Rams previously. Plus, they already have a talented receiving corps led by Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
St. Brown plays the slot like Kupp but the Lions would be able to find ways to utilize both players in three-receiver sets. And there aren’t many teams as close to contending for a Super Bowl as the Lions are.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are reportedly interested in Kupp at the right price, which is an indication that they won’t pay as much as other teams. And it’s unlikely Kupp will take a discount to play for a team that’s not close to vying for a championship.
It would keep Kupp in relatively close proximity to Los Angeles, though obviously not close enough that he wouldn’t have to move. But he would have a decent quarterback in Geno Smith and a veteran coach in Pete Carroll. Still, probably not the best fit for Kupp.
New Orleans Saints
Ian Rapoport mentioned the Saints as a possible landing spot for Kupp, pairing him with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. He would be the underneath guy who opens things up for Olave and Rasheed down the field, which would make him a nice complement to New Orleans’ receivers.
Kellen Moore is an innovative coach with a good scheme so fit shouldn’t be much of a hurdle for Kupp in New Orleans.
