LA Rams: Why is 12-personnel package more tempting than ever?

The LA Rams training camp will begin soon, and in the process, some answers will come, some more questions will arise, and the overall matter of who’s in and who’s out will create quite the preseason drama. Of course, who are we kidding? Like it or not, the high-stakes moves of the organization’s front office make each preseason with this team as thrilling as a looper roller coaster. Right now, we are all strapped in, being dragged by the creaks and clangs of the chains that push us to the precipice of the season. At the very top, as preseason games begin, we are able to view the entire season before us. And then, off we go, down down down into the NFL season at breakneck speed.

But before all that happens, let’s try to pause for just a moment and try to make heads or tails of the season before it begins. Even as training camp is about to begin, I cannot help but believe that all the while that the LA Rams have touted deep passes, explosive offenses, versatility, and athleticism, there may be a new wrinkle to this offense that wasn’t advertised. It starts with the 12 personnel package.

Why?

Well, let’s use the data at SharpsFootballStat.com to examine how the Rams lined up the offense in 2020.  The team used a base 11 personnel grouping 65 percent of the time. That is one running back, one tight end, and three wide receivers. Their next most frequent package is 12 personnel. That configuration is one running back, two tight ends, and two wide receivers, and was used 30 percent of the time. Finally, the LA Rams used the 13 personnel package, which is one running back, three tight ends, and one wide receiver.

Over the past several years, the LA Rams have constructed that offense around the compatible but equivalent talents of tight ends Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett, with the augmentation of Johnny Mundt’s blocking ability. But Everett is gone, and the Rams coaches have hinted at a change in offensive philosophy. Word won’t change things. So how might the LA Rams go about getting more points on the board from the tight end room?