‘It’s a Risk’ — NFL Personnel Evaluator Makes Feelings Clear on Rams Replacing Cooper Kupp With Davante Adams

Breaking up is hard, but that’s what the Los Angeles Rams did with one of their self-described “load-bearing walls” in wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Even though he was one of their “load-bearing walls,” the piling up of injuries, missed games, and declining production made him replaceable. While he did an admirable and professional job of mentoring Puka Nakua, the fact is that they are receivers who do the same things.

He’s effectively been replaced by the well-traveled Devante Adams. Rams head coach Sean McVay personally recruited Adams. He sent Adams video reels highlighting what he envisioned Adams doing in his offense, made multiple late-night phone calls, and sold Adams on the Rams’ team culture.

In the end, Adams felt wanted by the Rams enough that he signed a two-year, $44 million contract with $26 million guaranteed.

What Are the Risks, If Any, of Signing Adams?

Reaction to the Rams signing Adams around the NFL has been generally positive. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler quoted one exec saying, “Sean [McVay] can get really creative with him, because he’s that classic outside receiver with size that you can also slide inside,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “It’s a risk because Kupp was so good there for so long. But I see this as a slight upgrade.”

The most prominent hill for Adams to climb would seem to be learning the Rams’ scheme and fitting in with the team, but that seems to be a non-issue. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has made it clear that he thinks Adams is one of the best receivers he’s ever played with, and that’s before they played one regular-season snap.

For his part, Adams calls the signing “exactly what I needed,” suggesting that he’s happier than he’s been in years.

Adams’s Last Four Seasons

As for his age, watching Adams play, he’s a young 32-year-old. He still gets great separation, is an elite route runner, and has lost nothing regarding his physicality and burst off the line. He’s seen his receiving yards drop from 1,553 in 2021 to 1,063 in 2024, but a lot of that can be solved by playing in an elite offensive scheme.

Now that Adams has escaped what he may have described as a football purgatory in Las Vegas and New York, he could be in a position to have a renaissance season. If his health holds up, along with Stafford’s and Nakua’s (both players have fought nagging injuries the last two seasons), Adams could find himself back in the conversation about who’s the best receiver in the NFL.

Either way, the Rams are anticipating big things from Adams.