Here in early to mid-July, a couple weeks before NFL training camps start, the rosters around the league pretty much are what they will be for the 2023 season. Where DeAndre Hopkins, Dalvin Cook and some others will wind up is notable, but as an example any big trades feel unlikely.
But Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report, with a nod to the recent July 4 holiday, offered a list of "firework" NFL trade ideas that would transform the league in 2023. The strong insinuation is they are unlikely deals, but some could be easy fits. Including a proposal involving the Detroit Lions.
"Detroit Lions Pair Cooper Kupp with Amon-Ra St. Brown
Rams Receive: 2024 first-round pick, 2024 third-round pick (via Vikings), 2025 third-round pick
Lions Receive: WR Cooper Kupp
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"The Detroit Lions could make their case for inclusion by acquiring one of the remaining superstars from the Rams team that won Super Bowl LVI.Alex Ballentine, Bleacher Report
The Lions were one of the better offenses in the league behind a good offensive line, a resurgent season from Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown carrying the receiving corps. Pairing him with Kupp would make the receiving corps downright nasty."
The Rams are in an odd place, closer to a rebuild than contention as they deal with the repurcussions of being all-in to win a Super Bowl (not that they should have any regrets about it). Kupp is coming off an injury-shortened 2022, but he's only one year removed from a Triple Crown season in 2021 (145 receptions for 1,945 yards and 16 touchdowns). He's also one of few assets on the roster who could help the Rams recoup some draft capital.
Of course Kupp also has some history with Lions' quarterback Jared Goff, with four seasons (2017-2020) together when Goff was the Rams' quarterback. In each of the last two of those seasons, Kupp topped 90 catches.
There would be some concern of Kupp's skill set/usage overlapping with Amon-Ra St. Brown's. But per Player Profiler Kupp lined up in the slot just 43.4 percent of the time last year, and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson showed himself as an excellent play caller last year.
As bold, late (patently unlikely?) moves for this year go, the Lions trading for Kupp lands easier than a lot of others might. And one first-round pick, which would be fairly late first round if the Lions win the NFC North this year, and two third-round picks via Ballentine's proposal, seems like a pretty reasonable price.