Rams dust off an old formula to protect their pricey new investment

The Los Angeles Rams offense simply did not cut the mustard last season. Rather than play the fruitless blame game, the front office and coaching staff opted to attack the problem from a different angle. The rushing offense finished 24th in the NFL, and when broken down further, the team was a bottom-feeder in explosive plays.

For feature back Kyren Williams, it meant focusing his offseason on creating more explosive runs. For backup Blake Corum, it meant shedding weight and using preseason reps to build momentum. And for the front office, it meant drafting rookie Jarquez Hunter, who brings the type of burst this offense has been missing.

Still, the Rams carried four running backs on the roster in 2024, and two of them combined for just 23 carries. That was a brutal misuse of resources. The best fix is to spread the workload more evenly across the depth chart.

Rams banking on running back committee to spark 2025 offense

Believe it or not, the Rams once had a Top 10 rushing offense without a single back topping 625 yards. It happened in 2020, when Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson Jr., and Malcolm Brown all logged at least 100 carries but no more than 145. The results were spectacular.

That balance gave the team a grind-it-out option, a change-of-pace runner, and a short-yardage hammer. While that exact mix isn’t in place now, the same kind of success can be replicated if the touches are distributed more evenly.

The offense must find something new, because last year’s results fell short. The Rams finished 15th in total yards, 20th in points, 10th in passing, and 24th in rushing. The outlier is obvious. Solve the run game, and the rest of the offense follows.

What does a good distribution of carries look like for the Rams offense?

A fair target is around 400 team carries. Using that as the baseline:

• Kyren Williams – 160 carries
• Blake Corum – 140 carries
• Jarquez Hunter – 100 carries

Williams would see his workload drop by half, keeping him fresh while maintaining his efficiency. Corum’s 140 touches average out to just over eight carries per game, though realistically he’s best when leaned on heavily every third game or so. Hunter slots in as the change-of-pace option, with a running style that instantly disrupts defensive rhythm.

On the surface, this looks like a plan to protect Williams, the team’s multi-year investment. But in practice, it makes the entire rushing attack more effective. It spreads the hits, keeps everyone fresh, and gives defenses three different problems to solve.

It’s not reinventing the wheel. It’s just rolling it like they did in 2020. If the Rams actually commit to this approach, it could be the first real step toward turning a stagnant offense into a consistent one.

As always, thanks for reading.

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