LA Rams RB Malcolm Brown may need new zip in 2020

New Zip needed

Brown has delivered almost exactly what his draft profile projected. He is not a flashy running back, but is simply one who can get to and through the hole, chewing up as many yards as possible on each play.  He does not possess breakaway speed, but rather the power and momentum to slowly wear down NFL defenses, particularly as defenders become leaner and faster.

Brown is the infantry serving on an air force base. His is the type of game designed to run the ball, catch the ball in the flats, and move the chains. For some teams, that has value. For the current LA Rams offense? Not so much.

Earning snaps on the Rams offense in 2020 requires that blinding burst of speed.  Zip. That was what the team felt they drafted in the 2019 NFL Draft in Darrell Henderson. That is what the Rams can draft in the 2020 NFL Draft in running back prospect Salvon Ahmed from the University of Washington.

The Rams may seek new zip in the running game.  But perhaps equally important is the need for running back Malcolm Brown to have a chance to fulfill his full potential with a new NFL team.  Some may think he has little to no value, but that’s short-sighted.  On the right team, Brown is a perfect solution to maintaining a ball control offense, and with it, the game clock.  Trading Brown to a run-focused offense should net the Rams a day three pick. Brown is an NFL veteran rusher, who can deliver either rushing or catching the football.  That still has value to some NFL teams.

Brown has done everything the Rams have asked of him, but when the time came to expand his role, the team balked. The Rams owe Brown that opportunity.  Even while the team seeks more zip on offense, they should seek a new zip code for Brown.