Could Odell Beckham Jr. slow down Cooper Kupp's mercurial start to 2021 NFL season?

Los Angeles Rams vs. Houston Texans
Los Angeles Rams vs. Houston Texans

The Los Angeles Rams decided to go all-in by signing Odell Beckham Jr. earlier this week. That move ended up coming at the perfect time as Robert Woods tore his ACL in Friday practice.

Even with Woods out, questions remain about Beckham's fit in the offense. Specifically, how he fits alongside Cooper Kupp. The Rams receiver already has over 1,000 yards this year and has 10 touchdowns as well.

Kupp is the clear number one option for Matthew Stafford and Beckham just left a situation where he seemed unhappy about not getting the ball enough. So will OBJ create issues for Kupp and his potentially historic season?

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Will Odell Beckham Jr. slow down Cooper Kupp?

That's a key question for Rams fans as the OBJ era begins in Los Angeles. Will he, in fact, be a distraction? Beckham's entire time in Cleveland was spent never establishing a connection with Baker Mayfield. He seemed to be openly upset with the lack of targets his way and it led to him leaving money on the table to get out of Cleveland.

This ongoing drama also saw Mayfield try to get the ball to Beckham, often to the detriment of the offense as a whole. One thing Rams fans can keep in mind is that Stafford is a veteran who has played with stars before. He is not going to worry about who is getting how many targets. His goal at this point is simply to chase a Super Bowl.

His connection with Kupp should not be affected by Beckham's arrival. The potential distraction of Beckham wanting the ball could still show up after a few games. There is no reason to believe he will totally change his personality in what remains a contract year for the receiver.

It is entirely possible Beckham steps in and gets 7-10 targets per game with Woods out. That should still not hurt Kupp's numbers because Beckham is simply stepping in for another player. The offense runs through Kupp and Sean McVay won't change that.

Beckham is going to have to prove he can be a great teammate, regardless of the amount of targets he receives. He is trying to land a new contract and fitting in well with the Rams could make him the number two guy there for years to come. If he disrupts Kupp's production at all, he won't be sticking around for long.

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Edited by Henno van Deventer
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