Many thought the Los Angeles Rams would not re-sign deep-threat receiver Tutu Atwell after his production was limited once Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua returned from injury last season. The team had a key decision to make regarding Atwell – who is entering his fifth year in the NFL – largely due to the expected departures of Demarcus Robinson and Cooper Kupp. With Robinson testing free agency and Kupp's future with the team uncertain due to potential cap-saving moves or injury concerns, the Rams were at risk of losing two of their top three receiving options.
Since Atwell has now signed a one-year contract worth $10 million fully guaranteed, it seems that he will be as big a part of the offense as ever – even with the new addition of Davante Adams in Los Angeles. Atwell is coming off his best year yet as a Ram, totaling 42 catches and 562 yards, both career-highs. Despite over half of his yards coming during the weeks Kupp and Nacua were hurt, Atwell still proved to be a dynamic part of the Rams' offense.
Coach Sean Mcvay, who was in Palm Beach for the NFL's annual league meeting, had a lot to say regarding the extension and what Atwell brings to the offense.
"I think when you look at his body of work, when he's been able to play – especially in some of the times that he was playing when Cooper was on IR – there was a lot of production," he said. "And if you project that over the course of 17 games, you just watch what he was able to do. He's matured as a young man. I love the person, getting to know him, and I think that he's only getting better. He's 24 years old. I thought he really improved his route detail. For a smaller guy, he's got a good catch radius."
That's certainly high praise and a lot to look forward to for Atwell in the upcoming season.
McVay went further in-depth regarding the body of work Atwell has been able to showcase and even briefly responded to fans who claim his usage rate is not high enough.
"He catches the ball outside of his frame really well," McVay continued. "He's an explosive player that people know about, so he creates separation. And I think there is some stuff that, I think the fans are accurate in that I haven't done a good enough job of utilizing him. When you look at the times when he's been able to play, whether that be because some people were out or not, he has produced, and he's delivered, and we're looking forward to seeing more of that ascension. And he's going to be on the field a lot more, particularly in a lot of those three-receiver sets where, when he's been on the field, he's done a really good job."
This certainly means that Atwell will look to be featured more as the third receiver on this team and will have the chance to showcase his value to the offense as a whole. His speed and elusiveness provide the coaching staff with multiple options that cater to his play style, with the ability to be used as a decoy via motions and deep threat ability. This gives quarterback Matthew Stafford a reliable option while also allowing Atwell to take some attention away from the stars at the top of the depth chart.
With Atwell back in the mix, look for the Rams offense to reach new heights and create wrinkles in the playbook that have yet to be seen in recent years.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' Sean McVay breaks down why LA re-signed Tutu Atwell
