Sean McVay said Monday the Rams have not explored adding a wide receiver from outside the organization after Davante Adams' hamstring injury, and he repeated Wednesday that the team has not talked about an external move right now. Adams will need a cleanup procedure and is expected to miss 6-10 weeks, leaving the Rams to sort out how they cover one of their top targets without going outside the building.
That is why Konata Mumpfield's name matters now. After Puka Nacua missed Weeks 2 and 3, Mumpfield and Jordan Whittington were the next men up, and Mumpfield answered with four catches for 93 yards and a go-ahead touchdown in Los Angeles' Week 3 road loss to Denver. Matthew Stafford said everybody will get more opportunities with Tae going down, and he singled out Mumpfield as a young player who has handled his chances well, saying he is talented, soaks it all up and wants to be good.
The Rams already have receiver depth on the 53-man roster with Jordan Whittington, Tutu Atwell, Alex Bachman and C.J. Daniels Jr. behind Adams and Puka Nacua, while Brennan Presley is on the practice squad. McVay said the team may have talked about the practice squad, but not anything external, which leaves the current group as the first solution unless that changes later in the week or season.
The timing adds pressure. The Rams are coming off a Week 6 loss to the Cardinals and head into Week 7 with another injury-driven adjustment, including Brandon McManus becoming the third kicker this season. Rams-Raiders in Las Vegas kicks off Sunday from Allegiant Stadium at 1:25 p.m. Pacific time on FOX, and the first answer to Adams' absence is already on the roster, not somewhere outside it.
For Mumpfield, that means the chance is not theoretical anymore. It is the next series, the next third down and maybe more snaps than he has seen before, with Stafford asking for the same thing from him that he asked from everyone else: bring your best.
