New LA Rams RB coach Brown signals fullback likely returning to offense

Reports that the LA Rams are hiring former South Carolina RB coach Thomas Brown likely signals adding a fullback to the Rams offense. That’s Brown’s specialty

When the last game of the 2019 season ended for the LA Rams, questions began to form over the team’s running game. After all, the team managed to reduce the workload on featured running back Todd Gurley by eliminating rushing attempts. Despite a backup runner who needs touches to be effective in Malcolm Brown, and despite using a third round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to select big-play back Darrell Henderson, the Rams simply didn’t rush as often. RB coach Thomas Brown may have something to say about that in 2020.

Offensive line problems? Perhaps. But offensive line short-comings show up in both the running and passing game. And the passing game depends heavily upon the threat of a potent running game to get into rhythm.  The problem seemed to be a lack of trust in any of the team’s running backs.  The Rams offense, which had been run-centric, suddenly found itself abandoning the running game.

The effect cascaded across all aspects of the teams game planning.  The passing game struggled at times because defenses could pin their ears back and rush the passer.  The defense struggled as well, because the game clock leaned heavily into their time on the field.  Without an offense that controlled the clock and played from a lead, the Rams defense was forced to defend both the run and the pass.  When the team needed to make big stops late in games to preserve leads, those stops simply did not happen.

The Rams need to turn  the running game around.  That happens to be right in the wheel-house of new running backs coach Thomas Brown.

Turn around Brown

Coach Thomas Brown is a young promising running back coach who has been a rising star among the ranks of the NCAA football circuit.  His coaching career spans just eight years, which places him squarely into the youth movement currently happening with the LA Rams coaching staff. While he is a rising star, he’s also been a bit of a tumble weed in the college coaching circuit. His pass assignments include:

University of Georgia- Strength and conditioning coach (2011)
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga – Running backs coach (2012)
Marshall University – Running backs coach (2013)
University of Wisconsin – Running backs coach (2014)
University of Georgia – Running backs coach (2015)
University of Miami – Offensive coordinator/Running backs coach (2016-2018)
University of South Carolina – Running backs coach (2019)

While his career takes on the appearance of a tumble weed, he’s had the opportunity to impact some very talented running backs at the college level.  At Wisconsin, he worked with RB Melvin Gordan.  At Georgia, he coached RB Nick Chubbs as well.

Wherever Brown has coached, that college has dominated the running game.  His rapid change of employers was less about poor performance, and more about hiring on for a better deal at the next school. That has positioned him for the next level, and that means he will fill the running backs coach for the LA Rams.

Brown + Brown, Henderson, and Gurley = Fullback?

With Brown coming aboard to oversee a veteran running back corps, how much of an impact can he truly make? Let’s slow down the speculation and fold Coach Brown into the offensive scheme of head coach Sean McVay and new offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell.

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We’d discussed how O’Connell would likely help QB Jared Goff.  The quick and dirty lowdown is O’Connell will design the offense to take advantage of the talents of his players.  So how does that open a door for new running backs coach Thomas Brown?

Well for starters, the South Carolina Gamecocks recruited fullbacks to their team for the 2020 season, recruiting that was spearheaded by Brown.  In 2018, the Miami Hurricanes converted to a fullback in the offense.  Prior to that, the Georgia Bulldogs employed a fullback under Coach Brown, but was phased out after 2016.  So too had the Wisconsin Badgers used the fullback position in 2014.  Can you see the pattern here?

We’d talked about the Rams need to give serious consideration to reinserting a fullback into the offensive game plan, and hiring coach Brown seems to confirm that the Rams are committed to doing so.  But adding a new position requires a coach who is prepared to address that new position. Brown has done so.

Fullback unleashes full offensive potential

While that may not strike you as a significant development, it means plenty for the Rams heading into 2020. How so?  Creating a two-back offense add significantly more flexibility to both the passing and running games.  A lead blocker fullback can neutralize a linebacker at the point of attack, freeing up the running back to get through the hole and into the secondary.  A fullback also adds a designated blocker to aid the quarterback, which allows fast running backs like Henderson to become an immediate pass receiver.

Of course, both the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs used the fullback position with deadly effectiveness in Super Bowl LIV, like this play:

You can bet that the LA Rams head coach Sean McVay was taking notes on that play. While that was a pass play, there were equally impressive performances by fullbacks as rushers and blockers as well.

The LA Rams offense is loaded with weapons.  But too many weapons on the field at the same time means too few blockers. Now the Rams must redesign their offense to undo the numerous skill players and add enough blockers who can also run the ball and catch a pass. So far, the team is making the right moves to move the needle from decline to improve.  This hire of Coach Brown continues that progress.

2020 is looking brighter and brighter all the time.