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Tutu Atwell will have a chance to thrive in the Rams offense without Cooper Kupp
The Los Angeles Rams made a trio of bold moves at the wide receiver position this offseason. It started when head coach Sean McVay recruited and then the team signed Davante Adams. Despite never having more than 600 yards in a season, the Rams also re-signed Tutu Atwell to a one-year deal with $10 million fully guaranteed. Following those two moves, the Rams subsequently released Cooper Kupp to save cap space, giving the team a trio of Adams, Atwell, and Puka Nacua at the wide receiver position.
While the Rams cutting Kupp was certainly controversial given that he was a fan favorite, it was a move that made sense from a team perspective. Still, the more controversial decision may have been not just re-signing Atwell, but giving him a $10 million fully guaranteed contract.
The Atwell deal set the wide receiver market in the early stages of free agency. Dyami Brown signed a similar deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The most yards Brown has ever had in a season is 308. Signing Atwell to a one-year deal was similar to had they accepted his fifth-year option if he had been a first-round pick. It allowed the Rams to bring back a familiar face at the position rather than rely on a rookie to fill the same role in a year that the Rams are trying to make a Super Bowl push.
Atwell might not have been the most exciting signing, but there’s no denying that when he’s gotten opportunities, he’s found success in the offense. Over the past two seasons, Atwell has played in 50 percent or more of the team’s offensive snaps in 14 games. In those games, he has 52 catches for 669 yards. Last year, he ranked 12th in success per route and 17th in yards per route.
When Atwell has gotten chances, he’s produced. Last season, without Kupp or Nacua in the lineup, the former second-round pick had 33.1 percent of the Rams’ total receiving yards which was the fifth-most in the NFL and was the first-read on 32.6 percent of the team’s targets which was 12th. He was clearly the number one wide receiver in the offense
In 2023, the offense ran through Nacua when Kupp was out of the lineup. Still, during those first four weeks, Atwell ranked 19th in receptions while ranking 18th in yards per reception and 16th in total yards. At the very least, when Atwell has been in the lineup in place of Kupp, he has been a WR2.
With Kupp now out of the picture, it opens up a place for Atwell in the offense and he was signed this past offseason to be the third wide receiver alongside Nacua and Adams. Even if the Rams run more 12 personnel, that number may go from 14 percent up to 20 or 25 percent. That still leaves the Rams in 11 personnel at a 75...
