There’s been a consistent churning of talent at the wide receiver position since Sean McVay took over as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams in 2017. Sammy Watkins, Brandin Cooks and Josh Reynolds have all come and gone, and more recently, Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell and DeSean Jackson have been added to the mix.
Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods remain the stalwarts atop the depth chart despite all the changes Los Angeles has made at wide receiver over the years. They’re both still the top two receivers for the Rams despite the additions of Atwell and Jackson this offseason, and should see the bulk of the targets from Matthew Stafford.
Woods isn’t worried in the least bit about his role now that the receiver group just got deeper. He and his teammates have one ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl and the more talent the Rams have, the better their chances will be.
“At this level, it’s a team sport. It takes all 11 guys. You want to have the best guys on your team. I’m confident in my ability, confident in my game to be out there and help produce for this team in any way the coach asks,” he told reporters Tuesday. “I see it as whatever weapons – running backs, receivers, quarterbacks – we’ve got a team goal. We’re trying to win a Super Bowl. We need a loaded team. I know we’re bringing in receivers, they do things differently, but they also help bring explosiveness to our offense and to our passing game.”
There’s a chance Woods will see a decrease in playing time following the arrivals of Jackson and Atwell. He may also be targeted less than usual after having at least 129 passes thrown his way in each of the last three years.
But as of now, he doesn’t think the arrivals of Jackson and Atwell will affect him much. Rather, they will cause problems for opposing defenses – as will Kupp and Jefferson, too.
“I wouldn’t say that it affects me much, other than just bringing some speed on our offense,” he said. “I don’t think it affects me. I think it’s going to be affecting the defenses this year with these additions. We’re going to be coming at them with a lot of speed, a lot of weapons in our rotation. We’re just loaded at the receiver position. Throughout the game, you’ll be getting hit with a lot of different type of styles of receivers.”
Woods expects Jefferson to have a bigger role on offense this year after a relatively quiet rookie season. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be the No. 3 or 4 receiver, but he brings great route running, good speed and strong hands to the table – much like Woods does.
No matter who the Rams trot out at receiver, “it’s going to be a really great combination hitting you all around the field,” Woods says.
That’s a scary thought for opposing defenses and makes the Rams even more dangerous than they have been on offense in the last two years.