As the Los Angeles Rams front office prepared for the 2025 NFL season, the brain trust had to face and make difficult decisions for the good of the team. Perhaps three of the most difficult decisions were the conclusion to part ways with veteran wide receivers Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, and Tyler Johnson. The trio accounted for 124 receptions, 1,506 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns last season.
The entire Rams offense had 367 receptions, 4,096 receiving yards, and 22 receiving touchdowns in 2024.
So the first step to making this offense more productive and effective in 2025 was certainly questionable. And some could argue that it was a huge step in the wrong direction. Perhaps. But any ecosystem with a limited and fixed number of opportunities requires clipping before grafting. With limited roster slots, teams must release players before adding new players.
The same is true about offensive snaps, targets, and more.
We cited the Rams' Red Zone woes in an earlier article. After 2021, veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford has been unable to crack the 50 percent completion rate in the Red Zone, and that is a huge problem. Unless you are the Rams' placekicker, you want to see the team put up touchdowns whenever the offense gets within the opponent's 20-yard line. Since 2022, the Rams have not done so effectively.
Changes were not an option. Changing the offense is a mandate. Now, the question is why?
Improving the offense can only take one of two tracks. Either this offense must increase the number of offensive plays, or increase the effectiveness per play. Of course, there is a spectrum of combining these two methods, but the fundamental process of improvement is fixed. Either increase the volume or the production per unit.
Now we have the basis for why the team opted to part ways with Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, and Tyler Johnson.
Rams promoting production over volume
The Rams have struggled to increase the number of offensive snaps on a year-to-year basis. So the best option for offensive improvements is to focus on production. Lo and behold, the 2025 Rams depth chart for their projected starting three wide receivers all appear on the NFL's top-20 list of productivity.
So, what defines success? Mark Harmon defines success as gaining 50 percent or more of the yards needed for a first down on the first or second plays of an offensive possession. It requires making a first down on the third or fourth down plays of an offensive possession. Once a first down is achieved, the standard is reset.
As you glance over the tables below, let's keep in mind what success means in this format. Success is defined in this presentation as when a receiver gains 50 percent of the distance required for a first down (moving the chains) on either the first or second down. For third or fourth-down plays, the receiver must pick up the first down.
Armed with that definition, you can see that Rams WR Puka Nacua was hands-down the best receiver in the NFL last season. But don't miss the fact that Tutu Atwell was 12th in the NFL in success per route as well. Perhaps signing Atwell to a $10 million one-year contract was justified after all
Puka Nacua was the most productive receiver in the league on a per-route basis in 2024...by a lot.
Graduation. https://t.co/fiXjiBlwGj pic.twitter.com/V4450a4UwW
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) June 8, 2025
But if you examine the second table, this time one that ranks receivers by their ability to move the chains per route, you will find that the Rams boast WR Puka Nacua (2nd) and WR Davante Adams (18th) in that category as well. Had Tutu Atwell's number of targets supported his inclusion in that list, he would have clocked in at the ninth-ranked receiver in the list.
That places the three Rams receivers firmly among the NFL's top 20 rankings.
Need more proof? A more subjective ranking of the NFL's Top 30 receivers in the NFL was recently published. Even with a bias toward East Coast wide receivers, the Rams still boast two of the NFL's Top-30 ranked receivers in Puka Nacua (5th) and Davante Adams (14th).
pic.twitter.com/Xt2p72CpBm
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) June 6, 2025
Both of the Rams wide receivers appear on the list before any NFC West Division teams get a player mentioned. Only San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (19th) and Seattle Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (21st) appear on the list.
Will all of this hoopla translate into points scored? The Rams had to create opportunities for existing and former players to get larger shares of the offensive snaps and targets to make a difference this year. I always appreciate the opportunity to investigate why the Rams do things, as the way the team adheres to logic and evidence-based decisions can be quite impressive.
Once again, color me impressed. The Rams have a clear objective for 2025 and are making the right moves to achieve those goals. As always, thanks for reading.
Why not read other recent Rams roster articles