Apart from Matthew Stafford’s return, the biggest move the Los Angeles Rams made this offseason was releasing Cooper Kupp after they signed Davante Adams. The marquee player swap made waves in the NFL because of Kupp’s legacy with the team and Adams’ hierarchy among the receiver elite, especially after Kupp signed with the NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks.
The big switch isn’t lost on Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who noted that Adams brings something different to the table than Kupp. LaFleur compared it, oddly enough, to another major L.A.-based move: When the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers traded forward Anthony Davis (and more) to the Dallas Mavericks for guard Luka Dončić.
“It’s one really, really historic good receiver for another really, really good historic receiver, but they’re different, right?” LaFleur said at training camp this week. “I don’t want to start using basketball references, but it’s Anthony Davis and Luka. I’m not saying one’s better than the other, but they’re both really good players and you’re going to use them in different ways. I think we know what Coop’s specialty was, how his mind worked and the numbers that he’s put up in this uniform. Likewise with Tae [Adams] and everywhere he’s been and the numbers he’s put up. Yeah, they are both receivers but they’re very, very different and way we’re going to use them is different.”
This analogy may be difficult to understand if you’re not an NBA fan, but it has its merits. Davis and Dončić are both considered stars in the world of basketball, and both play the game differently. Davis is a front-court player while Dončić is a ball-handling guard. Kupp and Adams are both among the best receivers in the NFL (Kupp maybe less so now given his injury history) but don’t have the exact same traits.
The other similarity is that the Rams chose Adams over Kupp, similar to the Lakers giving away Davis for Dončić. Finally, the decision was almost universally lauded by NFL pundits in the immediate aftermath, as Adams is considered one of the top-10 best receivers in the league even at an older age, while Kupp has seen declines in his game in recent years.
Cross-sports references are never perfect, but this was a solid attempt by LaFleur. The Rams hope that Adams can be more for them in his first year than Dončić was for the Lakers last year, though.