Two assumptions here. First, how do we know he's not willing to take a discount? The assumption he's not runs counter to Kellie's suggestion that he is willing to do so.
Secondly, even if he did take a discount, you're assuming the Rams would want to spend that money on keeping Kupp. It could be that the Rams feel like Kupp is done and they're gonna move forward no matter what.
Yeah, I think there's a lot of rose colored glasses out there on Kupp's decline. People are willing to concede that his injuries have kept him out of the lineup but not that his speed and COD were severely diminished and there's a greater than not possibility that he's on a downward trajectory and there's no bouncing back.
Additionally, it would just feel better to believe it's worth it to keep him for a year since the cupboard looks so bare without him at pass catcher.
Now, far be it from me to accuse others of having bias without adding some of mine to the mix. Rams have fairly consistently worked from the maxim, if "it's inevitable, make it immediate." They may want to cut bait even if there's a tiny bit of juice left to squeeze out of Kupp cause they favor beginning the process of evolving the offense without him NOW.
I wonder and I don't have a lot to go on here if they really want to be giving more snaps to Whittington (specifically) and the tight ends as a whole (Allen, Parkinson, Higbee, possible draft pick - think Long is gone in this scenario).
It really does seem like we're gonna see a wholesale change at pass catcher this year. It should be nothing less than exciting to see how it plays out!
