4 potential replacements for Pharoh Cooper in the return game
Cameron DaSilva
[
theramswire.usatoday.com]
After staying relatively healthy all offseason and through the preseason, the Los Angeles Rams were bitten by the injury bug on Monday night against the Oakland Raiders. They didn’t lose any key starters on offense or defense, but All-Pro return man Pharoh Cooper suffered a “serious ankle sprain,” according to Sean McVay.
It’ll sideline him for “at least a few weeks” and could require surgery, which would likely put his 2018 season in doubt. To make matters worse, Mike Thomas also suffered an injury, tweaking his groin in the game.
That puts the Rams down their top two kick returners, as well as their primary punt returner. Needless to say, this isn’t a good situation if both players are forced to miss significant time. Here are some potential replacements for Cooper and Thomas in the interim.
WR Cooper Kupp
It’s possible the Rams will just go with Kupp on punt returns rather than bringing in someone to replace Cooper. That doesn’t take care of the void left on kick returns, but Kupp is certainly in the running to fill in for Cooper on punts.
He’s usually surehanded, makes smart plays on the field and has enough shiftiness to make defenders miss as they’re bearing down on him, but he doesn’t bring the same explosiveness that Cooper does.
If Pharoh isn’t out for an extended period of time – we’re talking eight-plus weeks – Kupp could handle the duties. He just shouldn’t be a long-term option.
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RB Justin Davis
Davis doesn’t have a great deal of experience as a return specialist, but he did take back kicks in 2015 at USC. He averaged 19.2 yards per return on 11 attempts, but those were the only chances he received at that spot. He’s an elusive player with good enough speed to break away from the pack, but there are some concerns.
He had fumbling problems last preseason, coughing it up a handful of times as a running back. That’s not something the Rams can afford to have happen on returns, which might give McVay pause when considering Davis for the job. It’s worth giving him a look in practice, though.
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WR JoJo Natson
Natson was a standout in the preseason for the Rams before getting waived during the final round of cuts. In four exhibition games, he returned nine punts for 100 yards, averaging a very respectable 11.1 yards per attempt. He also took back 14 kicks for 342 yards with a long of 31. Now, that was in the preseason and there’s added pressure in games that count, but Natson was difficult to tackle.
He remains available and the Rams could give him another look, potentially placing Thomas on IR in order to make room for him on the roster. At this point, he would be the most familiar and explosive option.
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RB Boston Scott
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Scott was a surprise cut by the Saints last week as a sixth-round rookie. He hasn’t been picked up by anyone yet, but he has a skill set that can bring value to the Rams. He was a solid kick returner in the preseason, totaling 188 yards on just seven attempts. He had a long of 35 yards and also had a 13-yard punt return, as well.
The Rams would almost certainly have to waive either Davis or Malcolm Brown to make room for Scott if they went this route, because there’s no way they’d carry five running backs on the 53-man roster. However, it might be an option worth exploring if they feel good about John Kelly as RB2.
