LA Rams special teams will truly be special in 2024, and here's why:

When the LA Rams spiralled out of control in 2022, the team had to lighted the load, so to speak, to get their finances in order to allow the team to pivot to the positive in the 2023 NFL season. But not all aspects of the team were restocked initially. For special teams, and for new Special Teams Coordinator Chase Blackburn, his needs were not the priority.

That put him in a difficult position. After all, the team has wiped the slate clean of all returning veterans who specialized on special teams roles. Veteran punter Riley Dixon was not resigned. Nor was KR/PR/WR Brandon Powell. But most of all, the team did not attempt to extend their dependable field goal kicker, Matt Gay.

The team's new ST coordinator had to rebuild the roster with almost no resources. That created some problems. To patch the gap, Blackburn turned to backup return specialist veteran Austin Trammell to handle the return duties for the team. And after a great deal of eyes-on scouting and some lobbying, Blackburn did manage to convince the front office into drafting a highly regarded rookie punter out of Wingate named Ethan Evans.

But the team would invest no more than one late-round draft pick into special teams. And so, Blackburn signed long snapper Alex Ward after the 2023 NFL Draft. He also signed a pair of talented rookie kickers who would compete in training camp for the starting role. The team signed rookie kicker Christopher Dunn out of N.C. State, and rookie kicker Tanner Brown out of Oklahoma State. Both were added after the 2023 NFL Draft, but neither would work out.

In fact, the team would cycle through four different place kickers in 2023. Two of those kickers (Brett Maher and Tanner Brown) would have two different stints on the team. It was beginning to seem rather desperate for special teams.