Tutu Atwell Has Been Getting Some Praise This Offseason
Tutu Atwell has a big year ahead of him. He had a poor rookie season that saw injuries and a lack of touches drag him down. However, the second-year receiver could become an important piece to the Rams’ offense. Both Cooper Kupp and Sean McVay have praised the former second-round pick for putting in work this offseason. The defending champs are already stacked with weapons. However, it never hurts for the rich to get richer. If McVay and the company want to go back-to-back, then they will need all the contributions they can get. Atwell developing into another receiving option will surely help.
How Is It Fair?
It’s not easy for many, but you can argue that the Super Bowl Champs got BETTER this summer. They had some work to do this offseason, but it’s hard not to be excited if you’re a Rams fan. Losing Von Miller was tough. However, the arrival of Bobby Wagner helps cushion that blow. Odell Beckham Jr. is both hurt and a free agent. Furthermore, they traded away fan-favorite Robert Woods to the Texans. However, adding Allen Robinson to their receiver corps is a huge plus. If Tutu can step up to be a #4 option behind Cupp, Robinson, and Van Jefferson, then the Rams will be even harder to play against. LA is known as a city of stars — plain and simple. The Rams seem to be finally adopting that mindset since their move from St. Louis. Their star power is some of the best in all of sports, and is arguably past the likes of the Lakers and Dodgers at this point.
Do They Have A Point?
It’s hard to think that McVay and Kupp are just singing his praises for no reason. They see him at camp every day. While a shoulder injury kept him out for most of the season, talent plus dedication usually equal success in the NFL. Check out what the Offensive Player of the Year had to say about Atwell:
[Atwell is] “special player” who “can do some pretty incredible things.”
“I’m excited about … seeing some of those things come to life,” Kupp said, via Klein, “because he’s been working very hard in rehab, but also just in building himself up, studying the playbook, all the stuff he needs to do to make sure when he steps on the field, he can just play his game.”
Cooper Kupp via Gary Klein, LA Times
While Atwell was not an option for Matthew Stafford’s passing game last year, he was a contributor on special teams. The former Louisville receiver racked up 54 yards on 10 punt returns and 87 yards on five kick returns. They’re not the greatest numbers, but working with a playbook like Sean McVay’s will certainly help a lot. He’s not the biggest or strongest guy in the slot, but Atwell has electrifying speed. If he can consistently get separation from guys, then the issue of making catches in traffic could get nullified to a degree. However, it also wouldn’t be a surprise to see Atwell ease into the system by starting the season on special teams, as that is also where his draft projection was.
Time Will Tell
There is by no means any pressing urgency here. The Rams’ skill positions already rank as one of the best in football. Having Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, Van Jefferson, Tyler Higbee, and Cam Akers as starters guarantees contention. Having Tutu Atwell blossom into another playmaker would simply be the cherry on top.
