What to look for at the onset of LA Rams training camp

I – Reset the running game

The similarities between the 2020 NFL season and the 2022 NFL season in terms of certainty over the offense’s rushing attack and the projections of individual runners are remarkably similar. In 2020, the LA Rams parted ways with veteran running back Todd Gurley, and turned over the job of carrying the pigskin to a trio of relatively unknown rushers: change of pace RB Darell Henderson Jr., veteran power runner Malcolm Brown, and rookie Cam Akers.

The Rams blended the different styles of running to keep defenses off balance, the runners fresh, and scheme to force the defense to show their hand at coverages to allow then quarterback Jared Goff to make the progression reads and accurate throws. How well did that makeshift running back committee do? Pretty well.

The LA Rams running game is setting up something just as sneaky good this year.

In almost identical circumstances, the Rams allowed their best running back of 2021, veteran Sony Michel, to sign with another team in free agency. That means that the Rams are back to a trio of relatively unknown rushers: change of pace RB Darell Henderson Jr., rookie power runner Kyren Williams, and veteran all-purpose rusher Cam Akers. Of course, not everything is exactly the same. The Rams also have second-year running back Jake Funk as well.

This group has many questions to answer in this training camp. Unfortunately, there is only a limited amount of time and opportunity to answer them all. Some of the final roster decisions for running back may carry over and be decided in preseason games.