Phil Perry and Albert Breer discuss a report revealing that Cooper Kupp is ‘curious’ of the prospect of joining the Patriots
The New England Patriots made significant upgrades at all three levels of their defense Monday when the legal tampering window of NFL free agency opened.
But they still haven't landed a top-flight wide receiver. And that's where the Cooper Kupp conversation comes in.
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The Los Angeles Rams reportedly plan to release their veteran wide receiver after the NFL's new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday unless they can find a trade partner for him, which seems unlikely at this juncture. And while Kupp is past his prime at age 31, he'd still be the No. 1 wideout on a receiver-starved team like the Patriots.
But what are the odds Kupp actually wants to come to New England?
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The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan gave Patriots fans hope Tuesday when he reported that Kupp is "curious about the prospect of playing in New England" while noting Kupp's "personal and professional connections" to the Patriots, which include a "friendly" relationship with Kendrick Bourne, his former college teammate at Eastern Washington.
The MMQB's Albert Breer offered a more pragmatic take on the possibility of a Kupp-Patriots pairing Tuesday on Arbella Early Edition.
"I think a lot of it is going to come down to his options," Breer said. "If he has a chance to go contend for a championship, I think he takes it.
"What happens if Jacksonville offers him a good deal? That's another (destination with) no state income tax. He knows the new head coach there, Liam Coen. They'd be asking him to come in and be the guy that would be able to start up their culture.
"That's sort of where I see this: The connections that helped the Patriots over the last couple of days get some of these guys might give us an idea of where Cooper Kupp might wind up."
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New England leaned heavily on familiarity in the first wave of free agency, as Carlton Davis, Robert Spillane, Harold Landry, Morgan Moses, Mack Hollins and Josh Dobbs all have some connection to members of Mike Vrabel's coaching staff.
Kupp does have ties to New England through Kupp and Patriots passing game coordinator/tight ends coach Thomas Brown, who spent three seasons with the Rams from 2020 to 2022. But are those ties strong enough for Kupp to choose the Patriots in free agency if he gets an offer from a legitimate playoff contender -- or even a team like the Jaguars, which plays in a warm climate without a state income tax?
That's the reality for Vrabel and his staff; even with a talented young quarterback in Drake Maye, New England isn't a very attractive destination on its own due to cold weather, a high tax rate and the team's combined 8-23 record over the last two seasons.
Vrabel is already working to change that perception, however, and landing Kupp would go a long way toward his goal of rebuilding the team's culture.
"The fact that he hasn't completely dismissed the idea out of hand, that's a good thing for them," Patriots Insider Phil Perry said of Kupp. "The Patriots could use all the help they can get in that receiver room. They could use an elevated level of professionalism."
Check out more from Breer and Perry on Kupp in the video player above.
