LA Rams running back dilemma: The Thomas Brown affair

The LA Rams appeared to be a team of running back riches, a team that was so ripe and robust with rushers that the team even allowed their lone 3+ veteran Malcolm Brown to test his fair market value. After all, the team had the promising second-year legs of Cam Akers. Darrell Henderson, another young up-and-coming rushing star, was right there alongside him. Two rushers who put up over 600 yards rushing apiece.

Behind them, the team had four very hopeful young additions. Both Xavier Jones and Raymond Calais, added in 2020, returned for another season determined to be more than bench warmers for the offense. Still not satisfied, the LA Rams added rookie RB Jake Funk late in the draft, and then signed undrafted rookie Otis Anderson Jr. after the draft finished. Six running backs to enter training camp.

Then the snap! occurred. For fans of the LA Rams, perhaps as terrifying and as horrible as if Thanos himself had snapped the fingers in the Infinity Gauntlet. The reports of projected starting running back Cam Akers tearing his Achilles Tendon took time to surface, but once it did, it spread like a wind-fanned wildfire.

It was horrible news. Some commenters in our early reports on the day believed the injury to be career-ending, it’s not.

Others sought mystical reasons behind the misfortunate accident, scanning any mention of Akers or the Rams Strength & Conditioning staff in past articles to place the blame. Jinx! Fear. Panic. The Rams season is over. The roster is too shallow. Les Snead and the Rams front office really screwed the LA Rams up again.  The human mind plays a lot of tricks on those who are grieving. Everything becomes a dark place. If you shed tears of disappointment today, you were likely not alone.