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Rams OTAs: WR Cooper Kupp’s knee, tough realities at punter, DL A’Shawn Robinson’s transformation and more
By Jourdan Rodrigue Jun 3, 2021
Rams receiver Cooper Kupp left the team’s 2020 wild-card win against Seattle in the fourth quarter after suffering a knee injury, which was then described by head coach Sean McVay the following week as bursitis.
This week, Kupp opened up about the serious injury that actually occurred, which sidelined him for the Rams’ divisional-round loss against Green Bay: A Morel-Lavallee lesion, which known more commonly as an internal de-gloving — or, when skin and tissue separate from the underlying fascia.
While Kupp did indeed have bursitis, he managed it throughout the season effectively enough so that it never caused him to miss time (he had 92 catches and 974 yards in 2020). But the de-gloving was a far more serious (and, he hopes, singular) incident that required what Kupp described as a pretty intense recovery program.
“I dealt with bursitis earlier that year, but I was playing through that just fine,” said Kupp, who still tried to play against Green Bay but was ruled as a last-second inactive.
“I think we had, I don’t know, 12 to 15 needles put in my knee that week just trying to figure out how to either numb the pain or pulling fluid out,” he said. “All the different things, trying to just get back on the field.”
Kupp underwent a daily treatment process after the season to heal from the injury, and now says his knee “feels great” and that he’s not experiencing any issues. He added that the Rams will have a management program for him (and all players) as the NFL prepares for its inaugural 17-game season.
As mentioned before, many of the veteran players are trickling in and out of the workouts (because they are voluntary, and most players are also following their own offseason training regimen). But from the highlights offered by the Rams’ social media team, it appears as though Kupp has been involved in most, if not all of the practices — which means that he’s been as active as could be expected under the mandatorily lighter workouts, which is a good sign for his clearance from the de-gloving incident.
The Rams open access back up to media on Friday, so I’ll have more live observations from that day’s practice. Meanwhile, there were a couple other notable items (and important context) from other players offered this week:
Andrew Whitworth’s contract, thoughts entering Year 16
Last season, Rams star left tackle Andrew Whitworth — who will turn 40 this season — was pretty open about returning for the playoffs from a knee injury suffered in Week 9, and how risking further injury by playing might affect his upcoming contract negotiation.This spring, Whitworth agreed to a contract restructure that reduced his 2021 cap hit (and therefore his initial salary) as the Rams worked to get under a salary cap shrunken by the COVID-19 pandemic. Other players took restructures as well, but in the cases of receivers Robert Woods and Kupp, and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, the restructure language was as simple as an auto-conversion of base salary into bonus dollars, as opposed to Whitworth having to negotiate through the process.
“Really, you get to sit down and say, ‘Hey, let’s try to make this work for everybody,'” he said. “And there are a couple of things that are important for everybody. Obviously, No. 1 was that they really wanted me back. No. 2 was obviously that I wanted to be back. I think that really was a good place to start from, and we kind of figured it out from there.
“You’re sitting there, and you’re trying to figure out how to fit yourself in the salary cap — and at the same time, I’m joking like, ‘Hey, if I had stayed healthy I’d be asking you guys to double my salary.’ Unfortunately, I didn’t. So let’s figure it out.”
Whitworth signed a three-year deal in March 2020, the 2021 base salary of which was reduced to $4 million (with a $1.6 million prorated bonus). He also has an “out” in his deal after 2021.
But, he said, feeling the hunger of wanting to get back onto the field after suffering the injury last season was a sure sign to him that he’s not ready to hang up his cleats just yet.
“I keep saying, like a repeating song, that I’m just going to take it year by year and think about it after the season,” he said. “Usually, I don’t think very long. … I knew when I had that much hunger to get back on the field (after injury) that I wanted to still play football. As soon as I realized in the offseason (with) rehab going really well, I felt like I was in a good spot and I knew I wanted to play the game — mentally, and in my heart. It was a pretty easy decision, as far as that goes.”
A’Shawn Robinson (Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today)
DL A’Shawn Robinson’s transformation
A’Shawn Robinson signed with the Rams in 2020 at 330 pounds but will play at 300-305, he said Wednesday.“They wanted me to lose weight, and I thought about how I played in Detroit, how much bigger I was and how much better I would be if I leaned up some,” he said. “So I got my chef in place, I got my workout regimen in place, I started pilates and yoga, really just harnessing my body and working every bit of it.”
Robinson also got bloodwork done to determine which foods to eat and which to stay away from. He said he has gone toward more of a pescatarian cuisine and also much heavier on the vegetables, while still ensuring that he’s getting the protein he needs.
“I really invested a lot of time in my body to start getting ready for the team,” he said. “I feel great … I first started seeing results in the beginning of March, (when) I switched chefs … I just wanted to be the best for these guys. I’m not going to go out here and slack and let any of these guys down.”
If needed, Robinson added, he could get down to 290 pounds and maintain that as a playing weight — which could point toward some of the versatility that may be asked of him on the interior defensive line, similar to Michael Brockers (who the Rams traded this spring after they were unable to agree on a contract restructure). At a lighter weight and presumably with that translating into more mobility, Robinson may be asked to play more positions than just nose tackle.
Last offseason, Robinson was nearly a COVID-19 opt-out due to a high-risk medical situation — but was able to work out a revised contract with the Rams to where he would simply spend the first half of the season on the non-football injury list. Because he missed so much of the team workouts through the summer and fall, using this offseason to try to make up for lost time was crucial. Robinson’s teammates have certainly noticed the difference.
“A’Shawn’s done a great job, transformed his body and lost weight,” said defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, who should be featured alongside Robinson and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald in the starting rotation. “Toned up, he’s locked in, man. He’s really locked in. I think a lot of guys are — especially with the departure of Brock. A lot of guys are ready to step up.”
Punter competition? Johnny Hekker’s not naive
Just before the draft in April, as the Rams added punter Corey Bojorquez to their 90-man roster, McVay and general manager Les Snead responded with a firm “no” when asked whether veteran punter Johnny Hekker would enter into a competition at his position this spring and summer — especially with a new special teams coordinator in town, and after an uncharacteristic season from Hekker.“I’m my own biggest critic, so I’m never going to really be happy with my performance. I think last season, I definitely did not perform to the best of my abilities,” Hekker said Thursday. “There were a few games … I just kind of got, maybe, ahead of myself mentally and I wasn’t focusing on the little things, the little areas of my game that are what (contribute) to myself going out there and help me be smooth. … Last season, there were definitely some kicks out there that I would have liked to have seen go better for the team and for myself — but mostly for the team.”
Hekker also made it clear that he wasn’t going to get complacent even after hearing those public comments from Snead and McVay — and indicated that he’s operating under the assumption that he is indeed in a competition.
“I think that the things we say in press conferences can be just things that are said,” he said. “When push comes to shove, they have to make the best decision for this roster — and there’s no running around the financial aspect of it too — so you gotta do what you gotta do to put together the best roster that you can.
“Corey is wildly talented. So I think for me to, for a second, not think that this is a competition and not prepare myself every day like it is a competition would be doing myself and this team a disservice. I think every time we step on the field, or are in the weight room or in a meeting, that it’s a competition. I’m just doing what I can to make sure it doesn’t change my preparation in how I approach every day out here.
“It’s the kind of stuff that keeps you young, I think … I think the second that you take something for granted or for certainty in this league is the day you get surprised.”
Hekker has a $4.93 million cap number in 2021 with a $3.75 million base salary (all of which the Rams would save against the cap if they cut him now that the June 1 term has passed, with a $1.8 million dead-money hit). He also has perennially been one of the top punters in the NFL, and at times has acted as a player-coach for the unit. The Rams parted ways with veteran long snapper Jake McQuaide in free agency and brought in two players to compete for the role, and will feature their third new special teams coordinator in as many seasons in Joe DeCamillis.
