Will the LA Rams special teams step up once more?

The LA Rams special teams unit have certainly been one of the early season disappointments for the team. It was a weekly sigh and eye roll when the team tried to cover or return the football. Whether it was from the tee on kickoffs, or from the foot of an NFL punter, the LA Rams were rather vulnerable in the return game.

I hate to mention it, but has the team corrected their coverage of onside kicks yet? You can bet it will be tested in the remainder of January.

But that all seemed to change when the LA Rams tapped wide receiver Brandon Powell to help out the team in returning punts and kickoffs. Now, Powell was not the first choice for the team. In fact, when the 2021 NFL Season started, the LA Rams did not even have Powell on the roster.

Rams roster added a special, special teamer

The team did not add him until the beginning of November 2021. At that time, the Rams needed to bolster offensive weapons that could make an impact on special teams, and WR Brandon Powell certainly fit that description. Not only did he have a history of catching passes from QB Matthew Stafford when he played for the Detroit Lions in 2018, but he was also used in special teams at that time as well.

That role fit him, but the Lions redirected those roles to other players in 2019. And so, the young receiver was waived by the Detroit Lions on September 1, 2019. The following day, he was claimed by the Atlanta Falcons, who stashed him on the team’s practice squad. He would remain there for most of the 2019 season.  But he would find a way to earn some playing time in 2020.