Former player who predicted Davante Adams trade makes Cooper Kupp projection

Amid trade speculation, Week 8 could be Cooper Kupp's final game with the Los Angeles Rams. The star wide receiver is returning to the field after a four-game absence and may quickly find himself playing elsewhere. Could this be the team's attempt to display him to other suitors and show he's healthy?

Based on retired Pro Bowler Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson's recent social media activity, that feels like a legitimate possibility:

Johnson believes Kupp will be re-routed before the NFL's Nov. 5 trade deadline -- to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or San Francisco 49ers. Considering the former prophesied wideout Davante Adams getting sent to the New York Jets before it was announced, he could be onto something. Moreover, both landing spots are viable given their respective situations, making it further plausible they swoop in and strike a deal with the Rams. But will a blockbuster swap materialize? That remains unclear.

Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson predicted the Davante Adams trade and now makes a Cooper Kupp projection

As a former player and analyst for Inside the NFL, Johnson is presumably well-connected and tapped into what's happening around the league. So, it's not far-fetched to believe he has a source that told him the Bucs and 49ers are interested in Kupp. He even confidently declared he beat ESPN's Adam Schefter to the Adams news, though most people thought that was inevitable. Regardless, it's noteworthy nonetheless.

Tampa Bay acquiring Kupp makes too much sense. The Buccaneers lost their leading receiver, Chris Godwin, to a gruesome season-ending dislocated ankle injury. Bizarrely enough, "Mr. 1000 Yards" Mike Evans re-aggravated a hamstring ailment and is expected to be sidelined through their Week 11 bye. It's a bleak situation for a top-tier NFC squad, which may prompt a corresponding move à la the Rams.

Kupp would seamlessly slide into Godwin's role as Tampa Bay's slot receiver. Plus, he'd reunite with an ex-coach/offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, who spent four seasons with the Rams from 2018-22 in various roles. The established rapport gives the one-time Super Bowl MVP a sense of familiarity if shipped to the Bucs.

Conversely, the 49ers are ailing at the receiver position. They lost their primary target, Brandon Aiyuk, for the remainder of the year due to a torn ACL and MCL. Meanwhile, teammate and pass-catcher Deebo Samuel's availability is in doubt after recently being hospitalized with pneumonia. Concurrently, third-stringer Jauan Jennings is battling a hip issue that held him out of San Fran's Week 7 loss. But do the Rams want to help their divisional rival?