The Los Angeles Rams were targeted in their approach to free agency this offseason, sticking largely to their internal development of recent seasons, but they still emerged with one of the more impactful free agents in Davante Adams.
A six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Adams signed a two-year $44 million contract with the Rams in free agency during the 2025 offseason.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport believes Adams will “boost” the Rams.
“Adams, who will turn 33 on Christmas Eve, may have lost a step, but he topped 1,000 receiving yards and scored eight times in last year’s split season and hasn’t failed to hit that benchmark since he played in just 12 games in 2019,” Davenport wrote on July 17.
“Adams and Nacua are one of the better one-two punches at wide receiver in the NFL. And as things stand, the Rams look like the favorites in the NFC West.”
Adams had 85 receptions for 1,063 yards to go with those 8 TDs.
Adams brings consistency to what was a middling Rams offense. The Rams ranked 15th in total offense and 20th in scoring in 2024, but they were 10th in passing yards and 16th in touchdowns through the air.
Rams’ Davante Adams a Step Above Cooper Kupp
GettyFormer Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp warms up before facing the Dallas Cowboys.
The Rams signed Adams to replace Cooper Kupp in the offense, releasing the long-time franchise cornerstone who, in turn, signed with the NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks. If nothing else, Adams should be more available for the Rams than Kupp was.
Adams, like all NFL players, has dealt with injuries in his career, and that is a growing concern as he heads into his 12th NFL season.
However, Adams has missed more than two games in a single season twice in his career.
One of those occurrences was in 2024 as he navigated a trade demand that resulted in him going from the Las Vegas Raiders to the New York Jets. He has logged at least 12 games played and 11-plus starts every season of his career.
Kupp has played in 12 or more games in six of his eight seasons and has tallied double-digit starts in five of his campaigns.
He has not recorded a 1,000-yard season since 2021.
Since Kupp entered the league as a third-round pick in the 2017 draft, Adams has played in 15 more games, two games shy of an entire regular season slate. Naturally, the Rams’ new star, Adams, has been more productive than their previous one, Kupp, in that span.
Rams Praise Davante Adams
GettyDavante Adams #17 of the New York Jets warms up before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Adams received plenty of praise from Rams head coach Sean McVay, who touted the six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro during a team meeting earlier this offseason, much to the delight of quarterback Matthew Stafford.
“The way he sees the game … is pretty impressive,” McVay told reporters in June. “He sees the game through a quarterback lens, and he’s got so many experiences and really understands it from an all-22 perspective.
“He loves football. There’s a consistent passion. There’s a real understanding of how it all kind of fits together – spacing, timing, rhythm.”
Rams wideout Puka Nacua touted the impact Adams has already had.
“I think the positive impact has already been felt from Davante,” Nacua told reporters in June. “From the moment he walked in, he has been willing to offer information, to have new drills, to a complete different mindset of somebody who’s played in various offenses, very different schemes, and stuff like that. So, it’s been exciting to hear from him.”
Adams and Nacua could both vie for WR1 duties in the offense each week, and that is a good position for the Rams – and specifically for McVay as the team’s play-caller – to be in heading into the 2025 season.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Rams Called NFC West ‘Favorites’ After Adding $44 Million All-Pro Playmaker appeared first on Heavy Sports.