Vintage Davante Adams

(Image via Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)

By: Lucas Kochevar

The Rams did some shuffling this offseason with their receiver room and made a strong swing at one of the better receivers of the 2010s. Puka Nacua is the standout star for the Rams offense and his running mate, Cooper Kupp, was released. Kupp was a machine for the Rams when he won the triple crown and Super Bowl MVP back in 2021, but he’s slowed down over the past three seasons. He was still productive, but not close to that obscene production. 

The Rams and Kupp moved on and that’s where Adams comes in. The grass wasn’t greener in Las Vegas and New York after he left Green Bay in terms of winning games. Despite the lack of winning, Adams was still a stud and totaled over 1,000 yards every season after the Packers. It’s rare to see a receiver continue big time production after they hit the age of 30, but Adams hasn’t seen a big dip.

That’s what the Rams are gambling on for the next two seasons. The Rams are betting on a real deal threat on the outside while Puka runs free all over the field. It’s similar to their Super Bowl year when they brought in Odell Beckham Jr. to be a touchdown threat throughout their run, including a big one in the big game. The Kupp-OBJ duo tortured opposing defenses for the back half of that year, but this is different. With all due respect, the Puka-Adams duo will be lethal if they can both stay healthy. 

The Rams finished the season 9-3 after a horrendous start. They were the hardest test for the Super Bowl Champion Eagles as a road team. The Rams could flame out if Stafford and Adams just break down, but they haven’t seen  regression to the level that we’ve seen other greats in this game. Saying “If the Rams could get vintage performances…” doesn’t feel fair to these guys as they haven’t slowed down to that degree. They’re still productive guys chasing one last Super Bowl on the way out with a very good chance at it.