One of the most glaring weaknesses the Houston Texans displayed as the 2024 NFL season was winding down was a lack of depth at the wide receiver position. The team limped into the playoffs with only top wideout Nico Collins completely healthy, while fellow stars Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell were out for the season. While that isn’t totally to blame for the Texans’ failure to make a further post-season run, it certainly limited the options for second-year quarterback CJ Stroud. With the team needing more bodies and Diggs already scheduled to become a free agent, Texans GM Nick Caserio will certainly be shopping for playmakers as he looks to fortify the offense.
Are the Houston Texans Aiming to Acquire a Rams’ Wide Receiver?
Cooper Kupp
One potential trading partner for Houston might be the Los Angeles Rams. They have indicated they will be dealing former NFL Offensive Player of the Year and the MVP of Super Bowl LVI, Cooper Kupp, this offseason. Kupp himself has seemingly acknowledged the multiple reports that the Rams are shopping him around to potential contenders.
“I was made aware that the team will be seeking a trade immediately,” Kupp posted on X earlier this week. “I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA. Still, if there’s one thing that I have learned over the years: there are so many things that are out of your control, but it is how you respond to these things that you will look back on and remember.”
“There are rumors that Cooper Kupp is not expected to return to the Rams next season,” Randy Gurzi of the Toro Times wrote. “These rumors have persisted for years, so they need to be taken with a grain of salt but with his recent tweet, it seems as though the two sides are finally going their separate ways.”
“If Houston wasn’t able to re-sign Stefon Diggs, it could make sense for them to see what it would take [in a trade] to bring him in. Kupp isn’t the same player who had 1,947 yards in 2021, and he’s struggled to stay healthy. Still, he’s a difference-maker when he’s on the field and still had 710 yards in 12 games last year.”
Tutu Atwell
While Kupp, 31, is no longer considered a number-one wideout, the Texans wouldn’t need him to fill that type of role. His sure hands and ability to make plays would be a perfect fit playing as a slot receiver – particularly if Dell returns for a healthy 2025 campaign.
However, another Rams wideout may be surfacing as an option for the Texans. Tutu Atwell, LA’s second-round draft pick in 2021, is a bit undersized, but he could be a valuable role player. At just 5’6″ and 165 pounds, he doubles as a kick returner and has blazing speed. He’s been clocked in the 40-yard dash at 4.39 seconds. He would fill the role of a third or fourth wide receiver on most NFL teams’ depth charts.
Both LA options could be on the table. Kupp is available via trade, while Atwell is a pending free agent. The Texans have the potential to sew up a lot of their needs on the offensive side of the ball by acquiring both. And if they can convince Diggs to return for an encore in Houston? You could see a resurgence from Stroud as he enters his third professional season.
Main Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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