The Rams had made a recent habit of taking swings on wide receivers in recent offseasons. From the Brandin Cooks trade to the second-round picks of Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell to the Allen Robinson signing, Los Angeles has continually made big moves to staff this position. Not so much this year.
Amid the cost-cutting decisions the Rams have made this offseason, they will still circle back to an auxiliary option for their Cooper Kupp-led receiving corps. Demarcus Robinson intends to sign with the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Being a role player in the Chiefs’ Alex Smith– and Patrick Mahomes-quarterbacked offenses, Robinson left Kansas City for Baltimore in 2022. After a 48-catch season, the 28-year-old wideout will join the likes of Jefferson, Atwell, Ben Skowronek and Lance McCutcheon as Kupp supporting-casters.
A former fourth-round pick out of Florida, Robinson spent six seasons in Kansas City. He signed two one-year deals with the Chiefs after his rookie contract expired and caught on with the Raiders in March of last year. But Las Vegas cut the veteran target, leading him to Baltimore just before last season. As the Ravens lost both Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay to foot injuries, the team turned to Robinson as one of its top receiving options as it cinched up a playoff berth without Lamar Jackson. While consistency eluded Robinson, he finished with 458 receiving yards and two touchdowns during his Ravens campaign. He added 49 and a score in Baltimore’s narrow playoff loss to Cincinnati.
Last season effectively proved Robinson could produce outside of Andy Reid‘s system, though he was sporadically effective as one of Tyreek Hill‘s wingmen in K.C. Robinson surpassed 400 receiving yards during the Chiefs’ 2019 and ’20 seasons, each ending in Super Bowl berths, though he was never especially close to being a prime option for Mahomes. While the Chiefs had that territory covered, Robinson’s Ravens season proves more interesting due to the lack of talent and depth Baltimore carried at the position last year.
The Rams ate some of Robinson’s salary to move his contract to the Steelers, and they have not seen much from Atwell yet. Jefferson is positioned as Los Angeles’ top Kupp complement, though the team did draft Puka Nacua (BYU) in Round 5 this year.