Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › will Kupp come through (the Kupp saga starting 7/26)
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July 26, 2017 at 8:47 pm #71286
znModeratorfrom THE GUT CHECK NO. 405: 10 POTENTIAL TRAINING CAMP RISERS
Matt Waldman examines 10 players he’s monitoring during training camp and expects good things.2. COOPER KUPP
Kupp is at the top of my shortlist for surprise rookie performers in 2017. The fact that he’s already listed as a starter on the depth chart as training camp opens is a strong sign of the team’s confidence in his skills. Sean McVay said this spring that Kupp’s mental grasp of the position is like that of a coach. Future Hall of Famer Steve Smith believes Kupp is the best receiver in this rookie class. And I haven’t seen a better receiver against press coverage at the Senior Bowl since I began attending practices in 2009.
Fantasy owners fear Jared Goff. They read the daily bashing of Goff in the media and wonder if Goff will be capable of getting Kupp the ball. While the question sounds insane to me when I read it literally, I understand the source of the concerns.
However, fans, fantasy owners, and yes, some writers continually ignore the impact of surrounding talent and scheme on a quarterback. Goff’s adjustment to a West Coast Offense from Cal’s Air Raid was like learning Chinese in a few months and then being expected to speak it and understand it fluently in a crowded Hong Kong thoroughfare while desperately in need of a restroom.
Considering the car Goff was driving had poor handling and a basic design for the rigors of Hong Kong’s traffic, it’s no wonder he had moments where it appeared he soiled himself. Are we also going to blame all of the Rams 22 dropped passed on Goff (8th most in the league)? Are we going to blame Goff for the receivers choosing not to spend time watching game film with him or working out with him?
I’m not ready to call it quits on Goff’s career because of his first year with the Rams under Jeff Fisher and a corps of veteran receivers I would not have wanted to work with if I were a quarterback. Even if Goff and the Rams only display moderate improvement to a level of production that we saw from Carson Wentz and the Eagles last year, that’s enough to yield one starting-caliber option at either receiver or tight end, and the Rams’ best option of the two will likely be Kupp in the slot.
Considering that Robert Woods, a good route runner and underrated receiver lost in Buffalo due to injury and other offensive woes, still has to prove he can be the primary option against top corners, it’s likely that Kupp will earn the best matchups this year—especially when Tavon Austin hasn’t proven that he can defeat press coverage, win consistently in the deep game, or display consistent improvement from one year to the next in anything but touchdowns scored and that’s often a product of scheming for his skills after the catch.
The Rams overpaid for Austin and are likely desperate to find ways to justify it beyond his special team prowess. However, I wonder just how tied McVay is to Austin. If the Rams cut Austin before June 1, 2018, they’ll have $5 million in dead money but a $3 million dollar cap savings. If they cut him in 2019 after squeezing what it can from him as a return specialist, they’ll have no cap hit and save $9.35 million. Considering the addition of receivers this year, I think McVay is tied to Austin.
I like Austin’s YAC skill, but Kupp breaks tackles and has similar acceleration and change of direction quickness. In fact, Kupp’s 6.75-second, 3-Cone drill is on part with Amari Cooper (6.71 seconds) and Phillip Dorsett (6.7) and his 20-Shuttle (4.08) is in the range of Braxton Miller (4.07), Sammie Coates (4.06), and Dorsett (4.11). Kupp is a far better technician and pass catcher than all three of these athletes, which means he knows how to get on top of defenders early to earn separation.
He’s also deceptively strong after the catch. Because opponents will be focused on the known names in this offense, I think Kupp could thrive early as a big-play option and eventually settle into the offense as a volume threat in the short and intermediate middle zones as a check-down or run-substitute in space while disappointing the hell out of Austin owners. Kupp can be had for a song and I’m by far the highest on him at Footballguys. I might go higher if the drumbeat remains steady.
July 26, 2017 at 9:36 pm #71288
JackPMillerParticipantIf he doesn’t play well and ends up being a bust, he’ll only be here for a Kupp of coffee. Excuse me, while I have a Kupp of Hawaiian Punch. I don’t like tea, or coffee, in case you are wondering.
July 26, 2017 at 9:39 pm #71289znModeratorCooper Kupp could become a starter for Rams
By RICH HAMMOND
IRVINE — Cooper Kupp checked in for training camp Wednesday, and a Rams staffer handed him a dorm key, a wristband, a team handbook and, just maybe, a starting job.
It’s been a dizzying ascent for Kupp, who walked off a high school field in Yakima, Wash., six years ago without a scholarship offer. After that, Kupp set small-school college records as a receiver, became a third-round NFL draft pick and now seems to be on the verge of playing a huge role in the Rams offense.
The Rams last week released a list of projected starters, and Kupp’s name was included, along with veterans Robert Woods and Tavon Austin. Kupp seemed aware of the development but, with training-camp practices set to start Saturday at UC Irvine, he quickly dismissed its importance.
“Whatever that role is going to be, I’m going to embrace it,” Kupp said. “I’m going to attack it, and outside of that I’m going to let everyone else speculate on hypotheticals. I’m just going to focus on what I can control and strive to be part of something special here.”
The Rams clearly have high expectations for Kupp, a sturdy, 6-foot-2 receiver who they drafted out of Eastern Washington with the No. 69 overall pick. Throughout the summer’s rookie mini-camp and OTA practices, Kupp consistently drew attention as a standout at a position of great need.
For one thing, Kupp can catch the ball, which might seem basic, but not to anyone who watched the Rams struggle with dropped passes last season. Kupp has the toughness to play inside, as a slot receiver, and the question is whether he has enough speed and strength to play on the outside.
Work ethic isn’t an issue. Kupp said that, leading up to the draft, he studied the three major NFL offensive systems, from which all modern schemes have descended, and that be believes he fits well in the system of new coach Sean McVay.
Kupp also lives approximately 15 minutes from quarterback Jared Goff, so the two developed chemistry by running routes together after the Rams’ summer program ended in mid-June.
“I believe it’s not worth doing if you’re not trying to be the best at it,” Kupp said, “and football is something I believe I was made to do. So I’m going to put everything I have into it. There were times, growing up, where I wasn’t the biggest or strongest or fastest. I put in a lot of hard work to try to keep up with my friends and be a part of that group and achieve the things I wanted to.”
That attitude has carried Kupp far. As a high school senior, he had interest from Yale, but that fell off, and after his final game he didn’t have a scholarship offer. Eastern Washington and Idaho State eventually stepped up, and Kupp picked the former and set small-school records for receptions and receiving yards and touchdowns.
Some draft analysts believed the Rams reached to draft Kupp in the third round, but the move made sense for a team that had just lost receivers Kenny Britt and Brian Quick to free agency.
If things go to plan for the Rams, they will move Austin to an outside role and try to use him as more of a deep threat, and Kupp could fit into the slot role. By listing him as a starter, the Rams have set the bar high for Kupp, but his focus remains narrow.
“Coming into this, the goal is to get better every day,” Kupp said. “That doesn’t matter whether it’s offseason or in season. When I got to bed at night, the thoughts running through my head are, did I do what I needed to be the best me?”
MOVING IN
McVay and General Manager Les Snead are scheduled to speak with reporters Thursday, and all players are expected to be checked in for training camp by Friday afternoon. It remains uncertain whether star defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who missed part of the optional offseason program because of contract negotiations, will report for the start of camp.
July 27, 2017 at 12:00 am #71292znModeratorKupp Enters Camp Ready to Make an Impact
By Myles Simmons
There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Rams rookie wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
You’ve probably seen the headlines. Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager said Kupp will be the most productive first-year wideout in football. The Rams’ recent projections included him as the club’s third starting wide receiver.
So how does the 24-year-old Kupp process all this as he begins his first training camp?
“There has been some media about stuff like that, but at the end of the day I’m here for the team. I’m here to be the best that I can be,” Kupp said on Wednesday. “All that stuff, speculations — I still haven’t done anything yet. I just want to come in here and get better every single day and be a part of winning games as a Ram.”
Kupp and the Rams rookies arrived over the course of the afternoon, checking into their rooms at UC Irvine that will be serve as their home for the next few weeks. Kupp, who will be sharing his dorm suite with fullback Sam Rogers, said he’s looking forward to the next few weeks.
It’s been an unlikely journey for the Eastern Washington product, who finished his high school career without a college scholarship offer. He said at one point coaches from Yale were recruiting him decently hard. But then he received a call to let him know the Ivy League school was going in another direction.
“Yeah, it was tough. There is no feeling like that,” Kupp said. “I believed I could play at the next level but there’s that voice in the back of your head saying ‘Well, right now no one else thinks that you can.’
“But that didn’t change my idea,” Kupp continues. “My thoughts were ‘I can do this, I know I can play at the next level.’ And I was lucky enough to be able to connect to some really good coaches and really great players in college.”
And as is well known by now, Kupp set numerous FCS records at Eastern Washington en route to being selected in the third round this year.
Kupp said he’s not spent much time reflecting on that journey, as he’s still at the beginning of his professional career and looking toward the future.
“I’m going to let that be what it is. I’m all about the mentality that whatever you’ve done before you know forget about it, flush it, move forward whether it’s good or bad,” Kupp said. “You’ve got to go out and learn things every single day and the things that have happened before you can’t allow those things to define, define you and change you as a person. So, I’m going to stay the same me whether it’s good or bad, continue being the person who strives to be the best in everything that he does.”
To that end, Kupp said he spent time during the summer break working out with starting quarterback Jared Goff.
“He lives about 15 minutes from me, so I got a chance to work out with him a little bit, throw [with] all the guys,” Kupp said. “We had a good group of guys that were able to come out and throw and go through some stuff together and just continue to get that work and build that chemistry.”
It’s also about skill refinement, which is a point of pride for the young receiver. He received a number of compliments from coaches and players during the offseason program for how polished he was for a rookie.
That’s all by design, as the wideout is a noted student of the game. He said he studied different types of offenses during the pre-draft process. And he listed Larry Fitzgerald, Antonio aBrown, and A.J. Green as players he’s watched to try and model his game after.
“I would like people to say that when they describe the kind of player that I am, is someone that prepares like a pro,” Kupp said. “I’m not sure where where this came from, where the end result came from. But if people are describing me as a player, that is where I want to land — is someone that is putting everything they can do into this game and controlling what I can control, which is my attitude and my effort. That is always going to be on par with who I am as a player and it is going to be very important for me to carry that through day-by-day and all the way through my career.”
That attitude comes through in the way Kupp describes what propels him. Even though his path to the NFL was not traditional, Kupp says those who doubted his potential didn’t fuel him.
“I was motivated because of the person that I am, because of who God created me to be, and the doubts were there just because that’s how things go sometimes, you know? But the doubt in my mind — which is the most important thing — was never there,” Kupp said. “I believed I could play this game, you know let other people think what they can, I just control what I can control.”
And that is the approach Kupp has brought into his first training camp. He doesn’t appear to be putting much pressure on himself, instead opting to do what he can to make the biggest impact.
“Like I’ve said, my expectation is to come in here and help win games,” Kupp said. “That’s the most important part — most important statistic is just to be a part of winning game in whatever that role is going to be. I’m going to embrace it. i’m going to attack it. And outside of that, I am going to let everyone else do speculations, all of the different hypotheticals — I’m just going to control what I can control and strive to be a part of something special here.”
July 27, 2017 at 1:47 am #71298znModeratorRams receiver Cooper Kupp poised to be a starter
By Gary Klein
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-training-camp-20170726-story.html
He walked off the field after his final high school football game without a single college scholarship offer.
On Wednesday, Rams rookie receiver Cooper Kupp arrived at training camp at UC Irvine listed as a probable starter on the initial depth chart.
That’s how much Kupp apparently impressed coach Sean McVay after the Rams selected the record-setting Eastern Washington star in the third round of the NFL draft.
“All that stuff’s speculation,” Kupp said of the depth chart. “I still haven’t done anything yet.”
Kupp was part of a draft class that includes tight end Gerald Everett, a second-round pick, safety John Johnson (third round), receiver Josh Reynolds (fourth), linebacker Samson Ebukam (fourth), fullback Sam Rogers (sixth), and defensive linemen Tanzel Smart (sixth) and Ejuan Price (seventh).
Drafted players and other rookies reported Wednesday. Veterans must report by Friday. The first full-squad workout, one of 15 open to the public, is Saturday.
“My expectation is to come in here and help win games,” Kupp said. “That’s the most important part, the most important statistic.”
The Rams, coming off a 4-12 season, had the NFL’s worst offense the last two seasons.
It is expected to change under McVay, who oversaw a potent passing attack as the Washington Redskins’ offensive coordinator.
In March, the Rams signed free-agent receiver Robert Woods to join a position group that includes veteran Tavon Austin. Then they focused on bolstering their receivers through the draft.
Kupp, 24, stood out during rookie camp and also during organized team activities and a minicamp. He came in with a reputation for preparedness, and it showed.
“I would like people to say that when they describe the type of player I am,” he said. “Someone that prepares like a pro.”
Kupp, 6 feet 2 and 205 pounds, is the grandson of former NFL lineman Jake Kupp and the son of Craig Kupp, a former NFL quarterback. But he did not attract much major college attention.
During his career at Davis High in Yakima, Wash., Kupp said, Yale expressed interest. But that fell through and he finished his prep career unsure about his next step.
“It was tough,” he said of having no scholarship offers. “There’s no feeling like that thought. I believed I could play at the next level, but there’s that voice in the back of your head saying, ‘Well, right now no one else thinks that you can.’
“But that didn’t change my idea. My thoughts were, ‘I can do this. I know I can play at the next level. ’”
Kupp subsequently heard from and visited Idaho State and Eastern Washington.
He signed on at Eastern Washington, was a redshirt in 2012, and then went on to establish Football Championship Subdivision records for receptions, touchdown catches and receiving yards.
Throughout college, Kupp said he studied star NFL receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Antonio Brown and A.J. Green.
“Receiver is an art — there is not one way to do it,” Kupp said. “And all of these guys play the position very differently.
“I draw a little bit into my game from each of those guys.”
McVay and Les Snead, Rams general manager, evaluated Kupp on tape, on the field at the Senior Bowl, during workouts and an interview at the NFL scouting combine, and in private workouts.
The Rams did not have a first-round pick in the draft, a byproduct of the historic trade that enabled them to move up and select Jared Goff No. 1 in 2016. They took Everett in the second round and then tabbed Kupp.
The receiver had already developed a rapport with Goff, who shares the same agent. But even while catching passes from young free-agent quarterbacks during a rookie camp, Kupp stood out.
“Cooper was a guy that consistently showed up,” McVay said after the camp ended.
Kupp continued to stand out when the full squad practiced. After minicamp ended in June, he continued to work with Goff and other players during the run-up to training camp.
Now he is poised to begin preparation for his first NFL season, in an offense that features multiple receivers.
“I understand what we’re trying to accomplish with it,” he said. “I think it fits my game well.”
July 27, 2017 at 2:05 pm #71313
AgamemnonParticipantCooper Kupp Scouting Report
schlegdaddytv
3,518 views
Published on Feb 8, 20176’1.5″ 200 lbs.
RS Senior
Eastern WashingtonSIZE: 8.0
– Adequate height but could add 10 lbs. to framQUICKNESS 8.5
– Quick in his movements more than explosive
– Can take a tad to get up to top speedSPEED 9.0
– Not a burner but has enough speed to be a vertical threat
– Lacks second gear in open field but holds top speed wellHANDS 9.5
– Shows good feel for not letting ball get into body
– Able to catch with his hands consistently on balls away and above
– Can sometimes struggle to catch fastball with handsROUTE RUNNING 9.0
– Good set up and sudden movement out of breaks
– Can round off his route too shallow every once in a while
– Very effective with double moves when he uses them
– Strength is his ability on slants, crossing patterns and outs
– Route tree currently better suited for NFL slotSEPARATION 9.0
– Slippery over the middle
– Very good body control to make subtle moves on the run
– Crispness out of breaks can get defenders off balance
– Could have some trouble with DB’s that can stay physical with himCATCH RADIUS 9.5
– Adjusts body well to ball thrown low
– Able to extend hands in front of him to catch
– Able to adjust to balls thrown behind him
– Works back to the ball in jump ball situations
– Underrated ability to high point the ballRUN AFTER CATCH 9.0
– Has decent lateral agility to freeze defenders in open field
– Will run hard and can be tough for CB’s to tackle by themselves
– Speed is enough that he can rip off some big runs after catchDURABILITY 9.0
– Battled through A/C shoulder sprain during 2016 season
– Could use a little more bulk on frame, especially if he plays from the slot
– Did not miss any games during collegiate careerINTANGIBLES 9.5
– Most productive college WR in the history of ever
– Ready to contribute day one as an NFL starter
– Dad and Grandpa both played in the NFL
– Known for maturity, leadership, and monster work ethic
– Did play against FCS level competition
– Had some nice games against FBS teams
– Will be a 24 year old rookieNFL COMPARISON: Emmanuel Sanders
FINAL GRADE: 90.0GRADING SCALE
90 – 100 1ST ROUND
85 – 89.9 2ND ROUND
80 – 84.9 3RD ROUND
76 – 79.9 4TH ROUND
72 – 75.9 5TH ROUND
68.5 – 71.9 6TH ROUND
65 – 68.49 7TH ROUND
AgamemnonJuly 27, 2017 at 2:21 pm #71314AgamemnonParticipant AgamemnonJuly 28, 2017 at 2:29 am #71339znModeratorHow Cooper Kupp went from no college offers to several college records
Alden Gonzalez
IRVINE, Calif. — Cooper Kupp, the Los Angeles Rams’ rookie slot receiver, made friends with the janitors at Eastern Washington University.
They were his lifeblood.
Kupp needed them to open the facilities in February so he could catch tennis balls from a machine two months before anyone was even thinking about football. He needed them on Saturdays, hours after the games that concluded long weeks, so he could pore over film deep into the night. Beau Baldwin, the former Eastern Washington head coach who is now the offensive coordinator at Cal, would often return to the office to pick something up and see Kupp sitting there, alone. Sometimes he would be watching practice film of an offensive lineman, repeatedly rewinding it because he wanted to know what everyone was doing on every play.
Baldwin coached college football players in the state of Washington for 22 years and never met a player with Kupp’s work ethic.
“He didn’t waste a minute, ever,” Baldwin said. “I know a lot of people say it, but he truly wasn’t going to let anyone outwork him.”
Kupp left Eastern Washington with 6,464 receiving yards, more than any college receiver at any level. He set Football Championship Subdivision records for receptions (428) and receiving touchdowns (73), and he caught at least two passes in each of the 52 games he played. The Rams made him a third-round pick in this year’s draft and are expected to use him as their No. 3 receiver, behind Tavon Austin and Robert Woods. By the end of the season, Kupp could lead the team in receptions.
On Wednesday, the day rookies reported for training camp at UC Irvine, he recalled where he was in his life nearly six years ago — walking off the field after his final high school game without a single college offer in hand.
Kupp wanted to go to Yale, an Ivy League school he had the grades for. He thought he had impressed the Bulldogs.
“The coach that was recruiting me, his dad was actually at [a] game,” Kupp said. “So I felt like, ‘OK, this is going to be a thing for me. I have a good shot of going here.’ That week, after that first game, the coach called me and said that they were going a different direction with it. So, right in the middle of the season, I lost the only interest that I had.”
Rams receiver Cooper Kupp set Football Championship Subdivision records for receptions (428) and receiving touchdowns (73) at Eastern Washington. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
Kupp was a late bloomer who never possessed eye-popping straight-line speed. He comes from two generations of NFL players — his father, Craig, played one season at quarterback and his grandfather Jake enjoyed 12 years as an offensive lineman — but Kupp wasn’t even deemed good enough to play in college. He sent tapes to a laundry list of coaches, publicized himself through a recruiting service and even had his grandfather work his connections at Washington, his alma mater. Nobody replied.It wasn’t until three weeks after his senior season that Eastern Washington finally came through with a scholarship offer, beating out Idaho State.
“It was tough,” Kupp said. “There’s no feeling like that. I believed that I could play at the next level, but there is that voice in the back of your head saying, ‘Well, right now no one else thinks that you can.’ You know? But it didn’t change my idea.”
Kupp, who redshirted in 2012, was the FCS Offensive Player of the Year each of his last two seasons at Eastern Washington and had at least 90 catches, 1,400 yards and 16 receiving touchdowns in all four years. He finished his senior year with a Big Sky Conference-record 117 catches for 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns, not to mention four other scores — two passing, one rushing and one on a punt return. In four career games against Pac-12 opponents, Kupp averaged — averaged — 10 catches, 179 yards and 2.75 touchdowns.
“Growing up, all his life, people wanted to maybe label him, and he always did more than what people expected,” said Baldwin, who has known Kupp since his sophomore year of high school. “He really wasn’t any sort of one-trick pony. He could do anything within the receiver game and other things. He can get behind defenses, he can run underneath, he can catch screens, run after the catch, it didn’t matter.”
The Rams quickly fell in love with Kupp. They sat down with him for a formal, 15-minute interview at the scouting combine in Indianapolis and new head coach Sean McVay said, “You felt like you were almost talking to a receiver coach.” When Kupp left the room, McVay turned to his actual receivers coach, Eric Yarber, and told him, “You’re lucky we just hired you.”
“You watch him play, you see he’s got those pre-snap plans that, a lot of times, you don’t see,” McVay said of Kupp. “He is one of the more polished college receivers that I’ve evaluated coming out in a while.”
Kupp ran an underwhelming 4.62 40-yard dash, but his times in the 20-yard shuttle (4.08 seconds) and the three-cone drill (6.75) were elite. He comes out of his breaks quickly, runs routes precisely, knows how to get open and has great hands. It was evident throughout the offseason program, and now the Rams are counting on Kupp to be a reliable security blanket for franchise quarterback Jared Goff, who badly needs one.
Through college, Kupp studied three wide receivers: Larry Fitzgerald, Antonio Brown and A.J. Green, all of whom do it differently.
After graduating, he studied the three main NFL offenses: Air Coryell, West Coast and Erhardt-Perkins.
He’ll be ready for whatever the Rams throw at him.
“I don’t have a single doubt in my mind that he will have an amazing impact in an NFL offense,” Baldwin said. “I’ve never seen him get defended by anyone. I’ve never seen him struggle. I mean, it’s been consistent, no matter who we played, no matter who it’s against. And he’s got a drive and a mindset that he’s not going to allow himself to not have success.”
July 30, 2017 at 1:26 am #71455znModeratorCooper Kupp ready to launch NFL career
Kupp’s father and grandfather could give the rookie advice, but they think he’s plenty prepared for the NFLDave Thomas
YAKIMA, Wash. — From their own experiences, Craig and Jake Kupp know what Cooper Kupp is getting ready to face.
Both enjoyed NFL careers and remembered well their first training camps — Craig with the New York Giants and Jake with the Dallas Cowboys.
Even with that background, both said they really didn’t share much of that with Cooper, who opened his first training camp on Saturday with the Los Angeles Rams.
That’s because they didn’t need to.
“To be honest, we haven’t had any preparation talks going into this thing,” Craig said Friday of his son. “It’s a culmination of years of preparation on his part. His journey and us supporting him through junior high, high school and college.”
“All I can say is that I’m really excited for him,” Jake said of his grandson. “We’re just there to enjoy the ride with him.”
Having witnessed much of that preparation up close, Craig and Jake are also confident that Cooper will find NFL success.
“Preparing for the NFL or college, that starts in Grid Kids. You can’t say five months before training camp that you’re going to start getting ready for the NFL,” Jake said. “Along the way, Cooper has built a solid foundation that’s got him to where he’s at.
“(Now) he can’t wait to show the Rams and his teammates what he can do.”
“I think back on all the work he’s done; the preparation he’s put in,” Craig said. “It’s kind of a life-long approach.”
A good piece of that foundation has been Cooper’s ability to blend supreme confidence with a down-to-earth attitude, Craig said.
“It’s funny but I think he believed he was going to be in this place, even as a skinny freshman at Davis,” Craig said. “In his mind, I don’t think he’s overly surprised he was going to be in this place. That sounds kind of cocky, but it’s really just an inner confidence he has.
“He always felt like he was the best football player on the field. Even if he wasn’t, that was his mindset.”
It’s a mindset that helped him become a record-setting receiver at Eastern Washington University. It’s a mindset that attracted the attention of numerous NFL teams, not just the Rams, prior to the draft. And it’s a mindset that helped him make a big impression with the Rams during OTAs (organized team activities) in the spring, leading to speculation that he will be a starter when the season begins.
Yet Cooper has remained grounded, dad said.
“There’s some expectations and he’s had some success with the OTAs, but at the end of the day he knows he hasn’t done anything yet with the Rams,” Craig said. “He’s just trying to be the best player and person he can be and help the team win games.
“I think he’s got a really good mental approach to this whole situation.”
That sentiment was expressed by Cooper himself in a story published in the Los Angles Times on the eve of camp when he was asked about being high on the team’s depth chart at wide receiver.
“All that stuff’s speculation. I still haven’t done anything yet,” he told the newspaper. “My expectation is to come in here and help win games. That’s the most important part, the most important statistic.”
Now, Craig, Jake and the rest of the family are excited to watch Cooper’s NFL career unfold, with some of that first-hand.
Craig and wife Karin will head to the team’s training camp at the University of California Irvine in Orange County in August and watch the team’s first preseason game, against the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 12. They will also be in the stands for the regular-season opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 10.
They will be joined by Jake and his wife Carla for a Sept. 21 game at San Francisco, then fly to Missoula, Mont., to watch Cooper’s younger brother Ketner and his Eastern Washington Eagles play Montana. There will be another double-dip Oct. 7-8 when Eastern plays at UC Davis on Saturday with the Rams hosting the Seattle Seahawks the next day.
“I can’t say what it’s like to have a son play in the NFL and then how many grandfathers get a chance … to be able to experience that again?” Jake said. “It makes it fun for Carla and I to be a part of their lives.
“It can’t get any better than this.”
“We’re really looking forward to this fall with both the boys,” Craig said. “It’s just extremely exciting. I can’t even tell you how exciting it is.”
August 2, 2017 at 4:19 am #71691znModeratorfrom ESPN: Training camp predictions for every team
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Los Angeles Rams
Rookie Cooper Kupp will establish himself as one of the Rams’ primary receivers.
He’s a third-round pick out of Eastern Washington, one of 11 wide receivers on the roster, but the Rams listed him as a projected starter before the start of training camp, after Tavon Austin and Robert Woods. Kupp won every award possible in college and is a perfect slot receiver for the Rams. He runs precise routes, has great hands and brings elite field awareness, a byproduct of his unmatched work ethic and overall intelligence. Kupp’s former Eastern Washington coach, Beau Baldwin, who is now the offensive coordinator at Cal, said: “I don’t have a single doubt in my mind that he will have an amazing impact in an NFL offense.” — Alden Gonzalez
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August 11, 2017 at 1:12 am #72212znModeratorCooper Kupp Day 11 Training Camp Press Conference
Cooper Kupp spoke with the media following Day 11 of Rams Traininig Camp.
August 13, 2017 at 5:45 pm #72450znModeratorCooper Kupp lined up all over the formation for the Rams tonight pic.twitter.com/ZSFkK6B3Rd
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) August 13, 2017
August 13, 2017 at 6:07 pm #72453
wvParticipant============
After graduating, he studied the three main NFL offenses: Air Coryell, West Coast and Erhardt-Perkins.
==============…on Saturdays, hours after the games that concluded long weeks, so he could pore over film deep into the night. Beau Baldwin, the former Eastern Washington head coach who is now the offensive coordinator at Cal, would often return to the office to pick something up and see Kupp sitting there, alone. Sometimes he would be watching practice film of an offensive lineman, repeatedly rewinding it because he wanted to know what everyone was doing on every play…
=============…formal, 15-minute interview at the scouting combine in Indianapolis and new head coach Sean McVay said, “You felt like you were almost talking to a receiver coach.” …
===========…an an underwhelming 4.62 40-yard dash, but his times in the 20-yard shuttle (4.08 seconds) and the three-cone drill (6.75) were elite. He comes out of his breaks quickly, runs routes precisely, knows how to get open and has great hands…
=============I dont wanna alarm anyone but that sounds a lot like… Faulk.
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vAugust 13, 2017 at 6:58 pm #72457
InvaderRamModeratorI dont wanna alarm anyone but that sounds a lot like… Faulk.
which is why i think this guy has a shot at offensive roy.
although with watkins coming in i’m not so sure anymore. there is the possibility though that he beats out woods.
August 20, 2017 at 9:40 pm #72932InvaderRamModeratorreading this article about jordan reed and his time with mcvay.
i can’t help reading this and thinking how similar to reed kupp sounds, and some of the things mcvay saw in kupp that made him so attractive are probably the same things he saw in reed.
but also this article speaks to mcvay’s ability to make a connection with his players. so not just reed and kupp. but the rest of the team as well.
Redskins tight end Jordan Reed formed a bond with his coach Sean McVay
By Jason Reid Columnist July 25, 2014
RICHMOND — After hearing that Washington Redskins tight ends coach Sean McVay had been promoted to offensive coordinator in January, tight end Jordan Reed called McVay to offer his congratulations and ask a question. Reed and McVay grew close last season, and Reed wondered whether McVay would still have time for him.
“Can you believe that?” asked McVay, who smiled and shook his head while recalling the conversation Friday during a break from practice. “He actually thought I’d be too busy for him. You always make time for guys like him.”
Especially if you’re an assistant coach who hopes to remain employed.
Coach Jay Gruden has big plans for the young tight end, whose combination of size, speed — he’s listed at 6 feet 2, 237 pounds and covers the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds — and route running make him a major matchup problem for defenses. And with deep-threat wide receiver DeSean Jackson often expected to draw double teams, Reed and others in the Redskins’ receiving corps should benefit from single coverage.
No one needs to tell Gruden how to best use Reed. However, if Gruden ever has a question about Reed, he can call on McVay, who knows him better than anyone in the organization. The work they did together last fall could help Reed blast off this year. From the start, they developed a model coach-player relationship.
“He’s obviously a great player, but I really enjoy him as a person, too,” McVay said. “He’s a great guy, so you want to continue to be involved with him.”
Generally, head coaches are father figures, disciplinarians. Position coaches are supposed to be like big brothers. The best skillfully walk the line of being a supervisor, teacher and friend. They’re the ones in whom players usually confide.
During three-plus seasons coaching Redskins tight ends, McVay had a good rapport with all players who reported to him. He took pride in working hard and being honest, figuring that’s the best way to lead. For that, he earned the players’ respect.
A third-round selection from Florida in the 2013 draft, Reed quickly learned McVay had his back. Whatever he needed — another question answered in the meeting room, extra work after practice or a quick tip on the sideline during games — McVay delivered way before Reed ascended to the top of the depth chart.
Some assistants attempt to latch onto fast-risers, hoping to advance their careers, and ignore the players at the bottom of the roster, but “Coach McVay always tries to help everybody,” Reed told me recently. “You know if he says something, he means it.”
Reed peppered McVay with questions about every aspect of playing tight end in the NFL, his role in the Redskins’ offense and what he could do to improve. Although Reed began the season as the third-string tight end behind veterans Fred Davis and Logan Paulsen, coaches and players privately raved about the big plays he made in closed practices.
It was only a matter of time, many said, before Reed supplanted Davis as the starter. Davis accelerated the process by continuing to be a knucklehead — you can’t repeatedly fall asleep in meetings and then complain about how you’re being used — and it became clear Reed was too good to remain on the sideline.
In preparation for Reed’s starting assignment, McVay came up with an idea he hoped would make the transition as smooth as possible. At the team hotel the night before games, McVay and Reed reviewed the game plan. In rooms used for team meetings, they would spend hours discussing routes, potential problems the defense could present and counters to the defense.
Obviously, the sessions paid off. Reed emerged as an integral member of the passing game.
His breakout performance occurred in an Oct. 20 victory over the Chicago Bears, when he had nine catches for 134 yards — the highest totals ever for a Redskins rookie tight end — and scored a touchdown. In an impressive first season cut short because of a concussion, Reed finished second on the team with 45 receptions for 499 yards (an 11.1-yard average). He also had three touchdown receptions, tying him for second on the team.
McVay has seen enough to express confidence Reed “is capable of being as good as he wants to be. It’s just a matter of being able to take care of himself and stay healthy.”
Reed wasn’t as forthcoming as he should have been about the lingering effects of hits to his head. He says that won’t happen again. McVay and new tight ends coach Wes Phillips, whose grandfather, Bum, and father, Wade, were former NFL head coaches, will hold Reed to it.
August 20, 2017 at 10:46 pm #72934znModeratori can’t help reading this and thinking how similar to reed kupp sounds, and some of the things mcvay saw in kupp that made him so attractive are probably the same things he saw in reed.
Interesting ideas. Interesting contribution.
.
August 21, 2017 at 1:36 am #72941
HerzogParticipantKrupp reminds de me of no other player. In fact he reminds me of Mcvay. I’ve never heard of a player studying all 3 offenses. Good stuff.
August 21, 2017 at 3:52 am #72947znModeratorKupp Off to a Strong Start in the Preseason
By Kristen Lago
For the second week in a row, the Rams pulled off a preseason victory, defeating the Raiders in Oakland 24-21. And while the preseason games are exhibition matches in nature, Rams’ fans can still find plenty to get excited about from Saturday night’s comeback win.
In last week’s preseason win over the Cowboys, the Rams’ first-team offense was in for just eight plays, culminating in Cooper Kupp’s fumble recovery in the end zone.
On Saturday night Jared Goff and much of the receiving corps played the majority of first two quarters — and once again, the opening drive featured an exciting touchdown play from Kupp.
“You see it — he’s very reliable, understands the game,” McVay said. “You watch the way that he’s able to contribute in some of those crunch-time plays [and] he just does all the little things the right way.”
On Saturday, Kupp led the Rams’ with six receptions for 70 yards. The highlight of which came early on when quarterback Jared Goff aired it out to a wide-open Kupp for a 23-yard touchdown play in the corner of the end zone.
“It was planned like that,” Goff said of Kupp’s route. “We had run it in practice and had a similar result — Cooper kind of running free there. And came out, saw him running free, and just put it up there.”
“I was good,” Kupp added. “A great play call. I didn’t really have to do much, just run into a spot. Everyone else did their job and it just left me wide open. So it was a lot of fun”
Plus, Kupp was able to move the chains, recording half of his receptions on third down.
“He makes it easy for me, the way he runs his routes, and how friendly of a target he is,” Goff said. “He made a couple really great catches, contested catches today that were big time for us, [and] moved the chains.”
Since the draft there has been plenty of hype surrounding the third-round pick out of Eastern Washington. And after two preseason games and a touchdown in each, the rookie receiver appears to be living up to it.
“It’s just one of those things where you continue to get comfortable when you catch the ball and get a feel for who’s around you without really having to look and see who’s around you,” Kupp said after the game. “Just continue to play faster, play in and play out. I think that will just continue to happen with more reps, the farther we get going through it.”
And as the regular season officially draws closer, Kupp should prove to be one rookie to keep an eye on this year.
“There’s a lot of examples of some younger players who we’re leaning on and counting on to be big-time contributors for us this year. And it’s been a good sign so far,” McVay said. “Very pleased with him.”
August 22, 2017 at 12:28 am #72987znModeratorPFF: Rams WR Cooper Kupp leads the NFL in WR Rating
GORDON MCGUINNESS •
https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-rams-wr-cooper-kupp-leads-the-nfl-in-wr-rating
Of the 24 wide receivers to have seen at least nine passes thrown their way this preseason, none have a higher wide receiver rating (passer rating for quarterbacks throwing to that receiver) than Los Angeles Rams rookie Cooper Kupp, who has posted a rating of 143.8 after picking up 105 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions.
Kupp has also averaged 3.18 yards per route run so far this August, ranking second among the 67 wide receivers who have played at least 30 receiving snaps.
The former Eastern Washington wide receiver was one of the most productive wide receivers in college football in 2016, dominating at an FCS level and averaging 3.32 yards per route run over the course of the season.
August 22, 2017 at 12:32 am #72988znModeratorThus far, it’s been a super preseason for Rams receiver Cooper Kupp
RICH HAMMOND
UBLISHED: August 21, 2017 at 6:04 pm | UPDATED: August 21, 2017 at 6:05 pm
THOUSAND OAKS — Yes, it’s just preseason. Before that, it was just OTAs. Before that, it was just the Big Sky Conference. At every turn, Cooper Kupp has faced doubters, and turned them around.The stakes have reached their apex. Kupp, a former small-school standout at Eastern Washington, now is preparing for his NFL regular-season debut, and the Rams’ third-round draft pick seems ready, as always.
In two preseason games, Kupp has eight catches for 105 yards and one touchdown. Also, seven of Kupp’s eight catches have resulted in Rams first downs, and he seems to have carved out a role for himself as quarterback Jared Goff’s safety net on third down.
The preseason hype machine has been known to swallow up rookies, but Kupp gave an almost embarrassed laugh when asked if his level of preseason success caught him off guard.
“I wouldn’t say I’m surprising myself,” Kupp said after Monday’s practice at Cal Lutheran, “because I do have an expectation level, and I expect myself to perform well on the field. So I wouldn’t say that, but I would say that I’m around some really good football players and really good coaches, who put me in some good positions. I’ve just been fortunate to make some plays when they call my number.”
The question about Kupp a few months ago was whether he could adjust to the competition level. It’s a big jump for a receiver whose last game in California was against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Still, other than a lack of overwhelming speed, Kupp seemingly has the tools to be a valuable possession receiver in the NFL. He has good size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) and excellent hands, and coaches have raved about Kupp’s intelligence. With Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods set to hold down spots as outside receivers, Kupp will have a chance to thrive in the middle of the field.
Kupp thrived in last Saturday’s victory over Oakland, when he caught six passes for 70 yards.
“He’s a great player,” Goff said after Saturday’s game. “He makes it easy for me, with the way he runs his routes and how friendly of a target he is. He made a couple really good catches, contested catches, that were big-time for us and moved the chains. We expect similar results from him in the future as well.”
Kupp’s highlight play was a 23-yard touchdown catch from Goff, in which Kupp almost instantly got wide open and easily caught the ball in the end zone, but Kupp also had three third-down catches that extended drives.
The most impressive catch came in the second half, when Kupp reached low to pull in a ball that almost hit the ground, then maintained control as he hit the turf.
“That’s one of those things,” Kupp said. “Third down in traffic, and Jared threw a good ball. He put it low to protect his receivers, and it’s my job to make that play on that third down and keep the chains moving.”
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