Getty Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams warms up before a 2020 game at SoFi Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers.
Cooper Kupp is considered the league’s most open wide receiver according to analytics, but even the 90-catch wide receiver on the Los Angeles Rams has to fight his way to get open.
And it starts with the Rams defense.
Kupp, who has back-to-back 90-catch seasons with the Rams, told Ram reporters Sarina Morales and J.B. Long on Monday about what he called the “love/hate” relationship between he and the Rams defense.
“I hate that we have to go against them everyday, but I also love that we go against them everyday,” Kupp shared to both.
Inside the Atmosphere Between Kupp, the Offense and the Ram Defense
Kupp described 11-on-11’s and other practice sessions as the complete opposite of a library: It’s not quiet at all.
“It’s a lot of trash talk. The trash talk is always there,” Kupp said. “It’s just the energy.”
And now, the energy starts with new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who has expressed his vocal side in his first stay in Orange County for training camp. Kupp, though, says he likes Morris’ attitude at Crawford Field on the UC Irvine campus.
“He brings so much energy to everything he does,” Kupp said. “He seems like a lot of fun and he seems really frustrating when things aren’t going well. He’s great.”
Morris happens to have a past background coaching wideouts. He was WR coach for the Atlanta Falcons from 2016-2019 before taking over the defensive coordinator reins in 2020, then interim head coach following Dan Quinn’s firing. Kupp says that he sometimes will pick Morris’s brain and gather receiving nuggets for the future.
“It’s been really fun to bounce things off of him and talk things through,” Kupp said.
Safeties and Cornerbacks Also Bringing Challenge
Kupp has gone against Jalen Ramsey in practice. And the four-time Pro Bowler and member of the “99 club” on Madden pulled this off in front of the wideout during Saturday’s practice.
.@jalenramsey to the 🏠!!! #RamsCamp
However, Kupp and the Rams offense didn’t take long to redeem themselves: With Kupp outstretching his arms on this red zone touchdown grab where Kupp managed to draw a one-on-one matchup on his inside drag route.
Staff with the DART to @CooperKupp 🎯
Kupp isn’t just tangling with Ramsey to elevate his own game. He’s spoken highly of the safety unit during the first set of camp practices – a group that includes Taylor Rapp and Terrell Burgess aiming to return from injuries plus has rising star Jordan Fuller, who was recently awarded the “green dot” on his helmet which allows him to call the defensive signals.
“There’s so many good guys over there. The first and second team, it’s a competitive period no matter who it is,” Kupp said following Thursday’s session. “Those guys are exceptional football players especially with how they push each other.”
Kupp and the WR’s obviously don’t have it easy during practices, leading to the veteran Kupp’s love/hate relationship with the Rams’ defense. However, he leaves practices energized about their future and how they’ll fare against other offenses.
“I’m really excited about the things our defense are doing,” Kupp said. “It’s been really fun and we’re really lucky to go against Raheem and the guys we’ve got over there.”