Ought to the Pittsburgh Steelers have curiosity in Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp? A former All-Professional, he’s previous his prime, however nonetheless expert and at a place of want. Kupp himself revealed that the Rams need to commerce him, however what’s the value?
“I don’t assume that’s what they want proper now”, Mark Kaboly mentioned of the Steelers being fascinated about Cooper Kupp, on the Kaboly + Mack podcast. “I feel he’s positively on the way in which again finish of his profession. In the event you have a look at him final 12 months, he was a shell of himself the final six to eight video games coming off that damage he [had] early within the season. He appeared good for a few video games after which he simply disappeared with a extremely good offense. A extremely good coordinator. A extremely good quarterback. I don’t assume that’s what you need proper now”.
Worth is relative, however there are some concrete elements. Kupp, for instance, is due $12.5 million in base wage this 12 months with a $7.5 million signing bonus. Do the Steelers, or another groups, view him as value $20 million at this level in his profession?
Kaboly doesn’t assume the Steelers view Kupp in that mild. “They’d by no means pay that on prime of a $12.5 million base wage”, he mentioned. “You’re a loopy sum of money there for a 32-year-old on the bottom of his profession”.
In fact, if the Rams are prepared to eat some cash, which it appears they’re, it adjustments the equation. They did that when the Steelers traded for Allen Robinson II, so they may do it with Kupp. If they’re motivated to maneuver him, it is smart, as the choice could be simply releasing him.
Kaboly finally admitted that he wouldn’t “shoo” Kupp away if the Steelers received him for the suitable worth. “However I’m not going out prefer it’s the Cooper Kupp three or 4 years in the past”, he added. He additionally questioned how a lot curiosity Kupp will truly draw across the league and questioned if he may not be launched as an alternative. Ben Roethlisberger is a fan of the Steelers including Kupp, however he doesn’t must stability a wage cap or handle a draft.
The very first thing the Steelers must acknowledge about Cooper Kupp is that he’s not sturdy at this level. He has missed no less than 5 video games in every of the previous three seasons. In his remaining three regular-season video games, he caught 4 passes for 53 yards on 9 targets.
The Steelers must ask themselves why that’s, and whether or not they can get extra out of Kupp. On the season, he caught 67 passes on 100 targets for 710 yards and 6 touchdowns. Whereas that might be high-quality manufacturing for a No. 2 goal, you don’t wish to pay an excessive amount of for it. And $20 million, plus a draft decide, would definitely be an excessive amount of.
