Why Allen Robinson II might mean more success for Rams, Cooper Kupp – NFL Nation

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was requested how he and extensive receiver Cooper Kupp may presumably high their success from final season.

Stafford joked, “You may’t sit there and go, ‘Nicely, the one factor to do now could be go for two,500 yards and I will throw for 7,000. That is unrealistic.”

However offensive coordinator Liam Coen is aware of one of many Rams’ offseason strikes couldn’t solely make this offense extra harmful, however assist Kupp as nicely. Whereas Kupp and now-Rams extensive receiver Allen Robinson II have been utilized in another way of their careers, each receivers are so versatile, Coen mentioned, the Rams can use variations of formations to maneuver each round to totally different spots and create favorable matchups.

“Getting Cooper [Kupp] on a nickel, getting Allen [Robinson] on a backer after which switching these guys,” Coen mentioned. “And vice versa. We predict it will likely be troublesome to defend and it was clearly troublesome to defend [Kupp] over the previous couple of years and having the type of guys that we had. However on condition that variety that Allen brings to us, I undoubtedly assume that it’ll current some challenges to the protection.”

Coen mentioned Robinson’s route tree is “extraordinarily expanded from in all probability years in the past, or possibly what we have had our different receivers do.”

“I imply, he can run numerous routes that Cooper can, you realize — a few of these possibility routes and selection routes and issues that we requested Cooper to do — as a result of he simply has an unbelievable skill to play beneath himself,” Coen mentioned.

Kupp had among the best seasons a large receiver in historical past — successful the receiving “triple crown” with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns — and did so operating 58% of his routes out of the slot, with Robert Woods or Odell Beckham Jr. taking part in reverse Van Jefferson on the skin. Nonetheless, Kupp was in a position to stretch seams and break by for giant performs out of a place that is not identified for them.

Final season with the Chicago Bears, 37.4% of the routes Robinson ran had been within the slot. If the Rams are assured Robinson may take up among the duty on the within, it will give Kupp extra room to sometimes function on the skin. With out Woods or Beckham — a minimum of to start out the season — there might be a necessity for an additional vertical menace reverse Jefferson.

Whereas Robinson is able to doing that himself — he had 102 receptions for 1,250 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2020 earlier than struggling by an illness- and injury-plagued 2021 — maybe Coen and coach Sean McVay get artistic, with Robinson and Kupp splitting that duty greater than anticipated.

“He is a type of larger receivers that has physique management of a smaller man,” McVay mentioned. “I’ve mentioned this earlier than, I guess you he is actually good if you play pickup basketball as a result of he can get parallel, he can double-up, he has nice physique management. He has nice ball expertise.”

Robinson, who signed a three-year, $46 million contract with Los Angeles this offseason, spent the final 4 seasons with the Bears after breaking in with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The veteran receiver mentioned he spent the spring exercises shifting round and “studying the offense from many various spots on the sphere.”

“Now,” Robinson mentioned throughout OTAs, “it is nearly constructing chemistry and studying extra so of the nuances of issues.”

Stafford did not throw in the course of the offseason program as he recovers from a proper elbow harm. Nonetheless, the quarterback mentioned, one profit to not with the ability to take part in each drill is he is had extra time to speak to Robinson on the sidelines and between performs.

“I have been very, very impressed along with his skill to understand our offense, his position in our offense,” Stafford mentioned. “His understanding, even when he may miss one thing or mess one thing up, the reason being so sound on why he did one thing — he heard this and thought that, and I am like, ‘That is an incredible thought.’ It is actually productive progress for him in our offense.”

Coen mentioned apart from Robinson’s versatility, the receiver’s “unbelievable skill to double you up on the level of assault” stood out to him this spring.

“He actually can work edges on you,” Coen mentioned. “Lean and press away from you on the high of the routes. He has actually good particulars, each within the launch recreation and on the high of the routes.”

Robinson mentioned he has already gotten numerous assist from Kupp, saying the pair is “all the time speaking by these various things and actually being very particular.” Final season, the Rams ranked seventh within the NFL in Soccer Outsiders’ passing DVOA. And though the Rams traded Woods and have not re-signed Beckham — a minimum of not but — Kupp mentioned it has been “nice” to work with Robinson.

“It has been a lot enjoyable to have the ability to collaborate with him,” Kupp mentioned. “There’s numerous potential for us to have the ability to do some actually particular issues, however we’ve to stack the blocks day-by-day and construct into that.”