This Patriots-Rams trade for Cooper Kupp would gift Drake Maye a go-to weapon

The Los Angeles Rams fell in the Divisional Round to the Philadelphia Eagles this past weekend. While the Rams season deserves a good, ol' fashioned pat on the back given everything they were forced to deal with the past few weeks – tragic wildfires and the like – tough conversations must follow any playoff defeat.

That all starts with Matthew Stafford, who likely won't retire but is taking some time to consider his future. Stafford played through cracked ribs the latter half of the season, per his wife Kelly.

As for one of Stafford's top targets, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, the veteran wide receiver is keeping his options open. Kupp remains a valuable part of the Rams offense and an elite route-runner, but Sean McVay and the LA front office have done a tremendous job filling out the receiving corps with talented young players via the NFL Draft so they are not as reliant on Kupp. Should he not return, the Rams still feature the likes of Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell.

"Who knows what's going to happen?" Kupp said following a 28-22 loss in Philadelphia. "That's out of my control. And we will see what it's going to be. ... I don't have any clarity on what that's going to look like or anything like that. So yeah, obviously would love to be in L.A., but I don't know what that's going to look like."

The New England Patriots have the assets to acquire Cooper Kupp

Kupp would make a lot of sense in New England, as the Patriots have the money and assets needed to land such a talented player. New England wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has already gone out of his way to recruit Kupp on social media. Kupp has a $29.7 million cap hit in 2025 and a $27.3 million hit in 2026. If the Rams cut him, they'd save $15 million in cash and $7.5 million against the cap. If they trade him, LA likely wouldn't receive much of a haul given teams know exactly how much Kupp will cost them in 2025 and beyond.

The best case for Los Angeles would be receiving some draft capital for Kupp while the wide receiver agrees to rework his contract with whichever team agrees to acquire him. Enter the Patriots, which have the resources to make such a deal a reality.

If Kupp can stay healthy he'd be an excellent fit in New England with Drake Maye. He's also still one of the best route-runners in the NFL at his best, and just entered his 30's. Assuming he is willing to discuss a reworked contract, the Patriots should trade multiple picks for him.

That third-round pick may sound low, but it's essentially a late second rounder since the Patriots own the third pick in the NFL Draft. The Rams could replace Kupp on the fly with a younger wideout who fits their system, something they've done a tremendous job at in recent drafts.