Cooper Kupp will have a new running mate at wide receiver this season after the Los Angeles Rams traded away Robert Woods and signed Allen Robinson as a free agent. Both Woods and Robinson are very talented receivers, but Robinson brings a different style to the position than Woods and Kupp.
He’s a bigger wideout with a massive catch radius and some of the best hands in football. His leaping ability also makes him a real threat around the goal line, giving Matthew Stafford a reliable target when the field gets condensed inside the 20.
Kupp has only been on the field with Robinson for OTAs and minicamp but he can already see how special the former Bears receiver is.
“Oh, he’s special. He’s really special,” Kupp said in an interview with The Spun. “He’s going into his ninth year in the league and I really don’t think he’s been able to showcase the player that he is. He’s all-encompassing in terms of his ability to go down the sideline and make those competitive catches, go across the middle to make those catches. That’s very well known.”
It’s true that Robinson probably hasn’t reached his peak yet. That’s largely because of the quarterbacks he’s played with in Jacksonville and Chicago, none of whom are on par with Stafford.
Now that he’s in a creative offense with an aggressive quarterback, Robinson should be in for a big year. Kupp expects him to do great things with the Rams this season.
“But as a route runner, his nuance, his understanding of defenses, his ability to double people up and play the underneath game, do the things we ask a lot of the receivers to do on our offense,” he added. “I think a lot of that stuff fits right in with who Allen Robinson is. I’m excited for him to be able to step into this place and be a part of this offense. I think it’s going to be a great year for him.”
ESPN projected Robinson to finish with 72 catches for 924 yards and six touchdowns, which are admittedly a bit low for his talent level. But with Kupp likely getting the bulk of the targets, Robinson won’t be WR1.
He’s an excellent WR2, though.
