LA Rams shake up roster, release 3. Will more be on the way?

Rushing headfirst into the unknown

So far this season, the Rams offense has rushed 221 times for 761 yards and seven touchdowns. Of that amount, RB Darrell Henderson Jr. rushed 70 times (31.6 percent of carries) for 283 yards (37.2 percent of yardage) and three touchdowns (42.8 percent of scores). Henderson also leads all Rams running backs in the passing game, catching 17 of 22 catches for another 102 yards. No, Henderson is not having a pro bowl season.

The problem is that Darrell Henderson is heads and shoulders better than any running back on the Rams roster right now. Of the team’s 2,880 yards and 168 points, Henderson has accounted for 13.4 percent of the yardage and 10.7 percent of the points scored on offense. Addition by subtraction? This is more like a leap of faith, and hoping that someone, anyone fills the void.

Pivot to the future does not mean abandoning the present

The plan at the 2022 NFL Draft was clearly to add rookie RB Kyren Williams to this roster, let him build his experience, and ultimately take over the role that Darrell Henderson had filled for the Rams over his career.

I’m all for allowing younger players to assume a larger role in the Rams’ rotations. In fact, we lobbied hard for the team to do exactly that, before many other Rams sites got on board. But the design was to change the Rams rotation, not to outright cut guys who have been performing the best at their respective position.

Henderson is the only running back on the roster who has rushed 50+ times and holds multiple rushing touchdowns. While some fans are quick to point to what rookie Kyren Williams can do, the young man has already been injured twice this season. Is that a trend, or just a bad coincidence?  I’d rather not place all of the team’s hopes to restore the running game on the legs of an untested and somewhat not-durable rookie.