We know Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson will be the Rams’ top two receivers to start the season – or at least we can safely assume that. What will need to be determined is who gets the most snaps as the No. 3 receiver, a key role considering how often the Rams use 11 personnel with three wideouts on the field.
Tutu Atwell has been somewhat slow to develop after being a second-round pick in 2020 but this could be the year he finally breaks out. Throughout OTAs and minicamp, Atwell has received rave reviews from his teammates and coaches, most recently receiving some high praise from Sean McVay.
After practice on Tuesday, McVay mentioned that he feels better about the Rams’ receiver group this year, in part because of the development of Atwell.
“I think I feel better about it,” McVay responded. “It’ll be good to be able to get Cooper back rolling. I think guys have all taken steps in the right direction. I think Van’s had a really good offseason. I think Tutu Atwell has been outstanding. He’s been a real bright spot, very comfortable. You can see just the comfort in playing a lot of snaps last year, gaining some confidence and then being able to move around. That’ll be really valuable.”
Atwell finally got a chance to play significant snaps late last season after Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson went down, playing at least 47% of the snaps in the final seven games. He caught 16 passes for 182 yards and scored a rushing touchdown in that span, gaining valuable experience with the first-team offense, as McVay alluded to.
This spring, Kupp has been rehabbing his ankle injury and the team is being cautious with Van Jefferson, which has increased the opportunities for Atwell with the starters. That’s allowed Atwell to play several spots within the offense, showing good versatility.
McVay complimented not only his hands and speed, but also his football intelligence.
“It’s very important because the more you can do – you just never know. And if last year taught us anything, you got to be ready for contingency plans,” McVay said. “He’s a guy that’s going to have a role for us and his ability to be able to move around and make sure that we don’t have to have certain guys play every single snap. But his ability to be able to play ‘F,’ to be able to play ‘Z,’ to be able to play ‘X,’ the different skills that he possesses. I think he’s a nice complement to some of the other guys that we have and so I’m really pleased with what he’s done. He’s a super smart guy. He’s got a really high capacity as a learner. You could see good, aggressive hands and obviously, he can run and do all those types of things, but he’s becoming a more complete player. Looking forward to seeing what that looks like when the pads come on. But I’ve been really proud of Tutu, happy for his development.”
Atwell’s speed brings a different element to the Rams offense, similar to the way Brandin Cooks and DeSean Jackson did, too. But he can’t just be a one-trick pony who runs deep and tries to create big plays.
It sounds like McVay is looking for different ways to integrate Atwell and get him involved, which is a positive development for the offense as a whole. The more playmakers they have, the better off they’ll be.
