LA Rams: Darrell Henderson is offense’s adrenaline

The LA Rams need a new featured running back, so the team needs to look no further than running back Darrell Henderson. He’s coming off a rather impressive 2020 NFL season of over 600 yards and five touchdowns. Perhaps even more impressive is his ability to come out and catch a pass with equal authority. While he may not be the best and toting that pigskin between the tackles, he brings enough rushing ability to make the LA Rams offense awfully interesting.

He’s getting the lion’s share of snaps with the 1s right now in training camp, and no doubt he will look very much like the team’s full-time starting rusher in September 2021. Can he rush for 100 yards? You know that he can, and he did so against the Buffalo Bills in week two. He has the speed, the moves, and indeed enough power to threaten defenses as long as he is in the backfield.

And as long as he is available.

That’s where the rubber hits the pavement folks. That’s the trick for the LA Rams right now. Is it more important to put up 100 yards in week two against the Indianapolis Colts? Or do you mete out his carries, feed him the ball on a budget, in hopes that he’s there to wipe out the San Francisco 49ers in week 17 and propel the LA Rams into the playoffs on a high note.

But the guy is not always available. After all, he was brought to the LA Rams in 2019, with the plan to become a change of pace running back to lessen the workload on featured rusher Todd Gurley. That translated into a mere 37 carries for the rookie and an underwhelming 137 yards of offense.