Should Cardinals Trade For Star Rams WR?

The Arizona Cardinals need to knock the 2025 offseason out of the park.

Following an 8-9 season, there’s lots of work to be done to ensure a second-half drop off doesn’t happen again. The best way to do that is to continue upgrading the roster at specific positions, whether that be veterans or youngsters.

Someone who could be interesting to add is Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp, who reportedly now available for trade.

The Cardinals are quite familiar with Kupp, who is torn up their defense for the better part of a decade now. Since coming into the NFL in 2017, Kupp has been one of the most accomplished across the league. The Super Bowl 56 MVP recorded a triple crown in the 2021 season and was shorted a league MVP after setting several single season records, including scrimmage yards and receptions in one postseason run.

Kupp’s stint in the league has been magical, especially considering the injuries that played portions of his career. The Eastern Washington product recorded two 1000 yard seasons and just one season with fewer than 700 receiving yards — that season he only played eight games. 

In eight seasons cup has appeared in 104 games of a possible 132 and has just two seasons where he missed zero time. So obviously there are legitimate concerns about longevity, especially as he approaches his early-to-mid 30s — Kupp turns 32 years old in June.

So while there aren’t any questions about cups production, nor are there questions about his inability to stay on the field… The question is which team would be willing to pick him up. After all, there is intrinsic value in having a veteran receiver for your offense. But there’s also the risk of an older receiver who already has injury concerns to play out a full year.

Circling back to the Cardinals, one of their offseason needs is at the wide receiver position. Marvin Harrison Jr and Michael Wilson are more than quality starters.  After them, however there are few proven players. We saw late in the season that the lack of depth at receiver was concerning for the team. Getting more talented and adding depth is an absolute must.

Adding Kupp is certainly an interesting option, and he would be the key veteran in the room. With Wilson going into a third season and Harrison into just his second year the Cardinals would be wise to get someone like Kupp to lead the room.

It seems like a great idea on paper however, adding the former All-Pro doesn’t fill one of the more important needs regarding wide receiver: someone with speed and the ability to stretch the field.

The lack of explosiveness via the deep ball severely held back the offense last year. Kupp has never been a blazing fast receiver, and he certainly is not at this point in his career.

So in one sense Kupp's edition is welcomed to the room overall… But it doesn’t fix the biggest problem at the position. 

So the question as far as adding cup becomes, is it worth it? For me, I like the idea of bringing him in, but of course there is a lot of risk involved.

For starters, acquiring Kupp as of now would require a trade with the division rival Rams. To be honest, it’s not impossible to sway them to send cup to the desert.

What may be more difficult is negotiating a respectable price… As moving one of your more accomplished players in franchise history to a sworn rival would be a tough sell… Literally.

LA could force the Cardinals to pay more than other teams that could call like the Chiefs, Ravens, or Bills. At that point, would it be worth it?

Best case scenario is the Rams are forced to release Kupp, where he could find his own team and negotiate his own deal. To be honest, this feels like the most realistic possibility, as I don’t know if many teams would be willing to give up what the Rams likely desire for the aging Kupp.

So as far as it goes for Arizona, there can be an interest in adding him… As long as Monti Ossenfort remembers that Kupp's addition doesn’t fill its biggest need and more reinforcements will be required.

I can definitely get on board with the addition as long as that mentality is kept by the front office. Of course, I also would not make the move via trade; only if he tests free agency after being released.

Kupp ends up will certainly be one of the more intriguing stories of the offseason. I have doubt he will land with the Cardinals, but it’s not a complete impossibility.