3 Cooper Kupp replacements the Rams must target in free agency

Cooper Kupp has been a fixture of head coach Sean McVay during his tenure with the Los Angeles Rams. The news that Los Angeles will be parting with their productive veteran wide receiver has caught fans off guard. It's imperative that the Rams front office replace Kupp with a quality veteran if they don't want their offense to take a major step back in 2025.

The challenge for GM Les Snead and his staff will be to find a wide receiver who they can afford in free agency. A big part of their motivation to trade Kupp is to save money against the salary cap. That means the Rams can't shop at the top of the free agent market. A superstar like Tee Higgins just isn't in the franchise's price range.

Finding a cost-efficient replacement for Kupp will be difficult for the Rams, but these are three wideouts they should target in their effort to replace their star wide receiver on the cheap.

Rams free agent target No. 1: Darius Slayton

Darius Slayton has never put up big numbers for the Giants but it's important to note that he's never played with a high-quality quarterback. He is a veteran who could really thrive in Los Angeles catching passes from Matthew Stafford in McVay's innovative offensive system.

Slayton would not be a like-for-like replacement for Kupp because he does the majority of his work on the outside. If the Rams sign him they would still need to add a slot receiver. That can be accomplished via the draft. Pairing Slayton with Puka Nucua on the outside would give opposing defensive coordinators a lot to think about on a regular basis.

Slayton's tempered statistics should hold his free agent market down to the point that the Rams can afford him. He isn't going to make anyone in Los Angeles forget about Kupp but he can perform like an above average No. 2 wide receiver. He would be a quality signing in a difficult offseason for the Rams.

Rams free agent target No. 2: Marquise Brown

If the Rams do want to find a slot receiver to serve as Kupp's replacement then they need to take a long look at Marquise Brown. He missed all of the regular season with a shoulder injury for the Chiefs, but his postseason play has reminded teams of what a dangerous weapon he can be.

Brown is a receiver who racked up over 100 targets in four consecutive seasons from 2020-2023. The Rams don't need him to soak up that kind of volume with Pacua in the fold. His ability to shoulder such a heavy load should appeal to McVay and his coaching staff as they look to balance out their target share next season.

At his best, Brown is one of a handful of receivers in the NFL that can turn short passes into long touchdowns. His ability to operate on short and intermediate routes would fit well into McVay's scheme. Los Angeles should not break the bank for Brown in free agency, but he would give them a nice, young, established receiver to build around.

Rams free agent target No. 3: DeAndre Hopkins

As long as the Rams are coached by McVay and quarterbacked by Stafford they will remain in win now mode. That's one reason why they should consider signing a veteran like DeAndre Hopkins to take over for Kupp in the slot.

Hopkins is not the superstar No. 1 option he was in the midst of his athletic prime. He's still an excellent route-runner that's showed real toughness this year playing through a knee injury. It's a good bet that his efficiency will improve in 2025 after a full offseason to heal up.

Some team might choose to overpay Hopkins based on his name value in free agency. As long as the bidding stays reasonable the Rams should stay in the race to sign the outstanding veteran. He could potentially give them much of what Kupp gave the team last year. It might take him a little time to understand the intricacies of the Rams' passing attack but his veteran know how should allow him to transition faster than most.