In a surprising move, WR Cooper Kupp has hit the trade market. The Buffalo Bills need receivers. The L.A. Rams have been in limbo as of late, and know that moves must be made to get back into the upper echelon of NFL teams. With standout WR Puka Nacua rostered for the forseable future, and Kupp's decline, they attempted to move on from him midseason.
Ultimately, the Rams kept him through 2024- Now, they've made their intent public. The Buffalo Bills are coming off an incredible year, but receiver is still a weak point on this roster. Can the Bills take a run at Kupp? Should they?
I was informed that the team will be seeking a trade immediately and will be working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships. I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA.
— Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp) February 4, 2025
Still, if there’s… pic.twitter.com/XWmbGVscGy
Cooper Kupp's price tag
The L.A. Rams have made the news of their moves public, and the offers will gradually roll in. Still, for a player in the position Cooper Kupp is in, it won't be a top-tier bidding war. Any potential trade would net mid-tier draft picks at absolute best. Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report projects the Bills would move 2025 4th and 6th round picks.
It's not an unreasonable offer, but considering the run Kupp has had since his 2021 Super Bowl MVP award, it may be a competitive overpay. The Rams would prefer to send Kupp outside of the conference if they can, and one of Buffalo's three 2025 4th-round draft picks would likely seal the deal.
Bills Receive | Rams Receive |
|---|---|
WR Cooper Kupp | 2025 4th Round Pick |
Now, as with any trade, the cost of the contract assumed must also be considered. Cooper Kupp will cost any team receiving him $12.5m in year one. The second and final year of his current contract is a whopping $14.85m in base salary, making him a two-year receiver for $27.35m. In his prime, that would have been a good deal. Is it still?
Is it worth it for Buffalo?
Since that 2021 Super Bowl MVP, highlighting the only full season Kupp has ever played in his 8-year career, his performance has been nothing short of good. Incredibly fine. Incomparably above-average. Obviously, as the Bills found out late in 2024, Kupp has gas in the tank, but is this expensive and injured aging receiver the kind of move the Buffalo Bills need to help elevate the offense?
There are better, more sensible options out there. Unrestricted free agent WR Amari Cooper can be re-signed, or perhaps the open receiver market yields options with a higher ceilings, or brighter futures. Cooper Kupp has been an excellent player, and deserves his flowers; he does not need to be acquired. For the cost of a mid-tier draft pick, and a cash commitment that Buffalo really shouldn't be making at this time, there are better options. Adding weapons around the reigning MVP, Josh Allen, is a must, but not this one, not right now.