Rams vs. Colts: Winners and losers from Week 2

Rams Loser: Tutu Atwell

When the LA Rams used their most valuable pick, the 57th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, to choose wide receiver Tutu Atwell, the hope was that he would become a valuable contributor to the offense. The expectation was that he would be used as the team’s punt/kick return specialist. The reality is that he really hasn’t delivered much in any role so far.

Well, let’s not beat around the bush. He handled one punt. No return yardage. No receiving yardage. He just hasn’t contributed to the team yet. So the question of when he will do so is beginning to quiet and is being replaced by the rising volume of the question of if he will do so.

When Atwell was added to the roster, the strong point of why the LA Rams valued him on this roster was his amazing speed. But the speed of all NFL players is meaningless on the bench. Of course, two games into the season is hardly ample time to determine the future of an NFL rookie.

But it does bear some monitoring. The LA Rams clearly had a plan to make use of Atwell on the roster. So far, he has not shown up. It cannot be for the lack of opportunity. The LA Rams have a need on special teams for a punt returner and a kick returner. With the chaos impacting the Rams’ running backs, the team would love to redirect Jake Funk away from kick return duties back to the running attack. In order to do that, the team would need to be confident in Atwell’s ability to handle kick return duties.

Since the Rams are not confident in his punt return abilities, don’t look for Atwell to take on additional responsibilities anytime soon.