Cooper Kupp trade rumors: Rams’ asking price for WR could be similar to $71,550,000’s star’s value

We may have a clearer idea of what the Los Angeles Rams will receive for Cooper Kupp after a wide receiver with a similar profile was traded on Saturday.

Deebo Samuel was dealt to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round pick last week. Kupp, who is two years older than Samuel was told last month that he’s not in the Rams’ future plans.

The 29-year-old Samuel had one year left on his three-year contract with the Niners, worth over $71.5 million. The Commanders will take the remaining $17.55 million on that deal.

A trade for Kupp seems to be in the works, and the former Super Bowl MVP, like Samuel, won’t be cheap for whoever brings him on, according to Sports Illustrated. With Samuel's trade one can get the idea of the value of Kupp on the market.

Given that the Niners only received a fifth-round pick for Samuel, a one-time Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro, the Rams are unlikely to do any better. Kupp and Samuel each appeared in the Pro Bowl and were named First-Team All-Pro in 2021.

That season, Samuel and Kupp both set career highs in receiving yards, with the former at 1,405 and the latter at 1,947.

On Monday there was a report that the Dallas Cowboys might be interested in Kupp, with ESPN's Dan Graziano believing America's Team could be a logical destination for him if the price is right.

Kupp, the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year, is set to make $20 million in 2025 as he plays the final year of his three-year contract, valued at just over $80 million per Spotrac. If the Rams can find a team willing to trade for him, they’ll have just over $5 million in cap savings.

Rams are running low on options amid Cooper Kupp situation

If the Rams want to move on from Cooper Kupp, there is another option, though it’s not necessarily attractive.

Cutting him could be their other alternative if no trade materializes, though doing so wouldn’t be cheap. The release option would save the organization a mere $7.52 million in cap space. That number could rise to $15 million if they designate him a post-June 1 cut rather than officially releasing him before that date.

Should Kupp be a post-June cut, he would count $22.26 million as a dead cap hit for the Rams over the next two years. No matter how you slice it, there appears to be no great solution to the Rams’ problem of Cooper Kupp.