Rams need to continue increasing workload for Darrell Henderson

The best way for the Los Angeles Rams to get the most production out of Darrell Henderson is to continue increasing the rookie’s workload.

Thanks to an impressive career at Memphis, the Los Angeles Rams felt confident enough in using a third-round pick on Darrell Henderson during April’s draft with the hope of providing some insurance to Todd Gurley in the backfield.

Even though running back wasn’t exactly a top need for the Rams in the draft, Henderson’s skill set along with different running style made it seem like he could become a reliable weapon for Sean McVay to work with on offense.

Not to mention, when seeing how things played out during the NFC Championship and Super Bowl with Gurley, Los Angeles was smart to bring Henderson on board since there’s no way of telling what the future will hold from the Pro Bowl running back.

With that being said, since the Rams made it clear in the offseason they would be giving Gurley a lighter workload to avoid making his knee situation worse, it was surprising to see Henderson receive very little action early on in 2019.

After all of the hype from the months leading up to September, no one expected Henderson to receive only one carry through the first five games for Los Angeles, but at least the rookie has been used more as of late due to his teammates dealing with injuries.

One week after earning six carries for 39 yards in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers while Gurley was sidelined, Henderson rushed for 31 yards on 11 carries during this past weekend’s win over the Atlanta Falcons when Malcolm Brown was sidelined.

These numbers obviously don’t seem that impressive, but also Rams fans need to keep in mind that Henderson is still learning as a rookie, and the offensive line has been dealing with issues of their own, meaning they really shouldn’t seem all that surprising.

But if Los Angeles really wants to see Henderson display better numbers, the best way to do so is by making sure he continues to receive the opportunities to do so, even during times when Gurley and Brown are both healthy.

Otherwise, it’s only going to prevent Henderson from reaching his true potential on offense for the Rams, which no one wants to see take place.

So with Los Angeles continuing to prepare for their trip to London to take on the Cincinnati Bengals, fans should hope to see Henderson continue to receive a good amount of carries on offense, especially if this turns into a blowout.