The Raiders gifted the Rams a perfect special teams signing

The LA Rams have not had much success with special team players recently. They counted on former WR Brandon Powell to handle the return duties in 2021 and 2022. But he was released before the 2023 NFL season arrived. The team, desperate to fill that vacancy, trialed WR Austin Trammell in the role. But here we are, now in the 2024 NFL season, and Austin Trammell is no longer on the Rams roster either.

The team needs a veteran return specialist who can contribute on the offensive side of the football, and can handle both the kick return and punt return duties.

Voila! One just hit the market one week ago. He is former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, and just like veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who was also on the Raiders roster in 2023, he is looking for a new team.

Does he make sense to sign with the Rams?

Why Hunter Renfrow makes the perfect special teams signing

The LA Rams wide receiver room is nearly full. Nearly because the team is counting on full healthy seasons from a quartet or receivers in 2024, including WR Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson, and Tutu Atwell. There is even the chance to sprinkle in a little bit of Ben Skowronek for good measure.

But there is the risk of injury to a main receiver that would throw everything off balance in 2024. No matter how robust the wide receiver room appears at the begin, injuries seem to take a toll and the group is fighting to stay healthy by season's end.

Renfrow stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 185 pounds. While is not the biggest receiver in the NFL, he certainly can make plays. His career catch rate is 74.1 percent, which is outstanding. He nearly doubles his receiving yards with an abundance of yards after the catch. He is even blessed with velcro hands, seldom dropping more than one pass per season.

Where he shines is in punt returns, boasting 70 returns over his career for 680 yards, and an average of 9.7 yards per return. For comparison, Trammell averaged just 7.3 yards per return in 2023.

The Rams have to be wise about any contract language. The Raiders paid for a 1000 yard receiver (his 2021 Pro Bowl season), and never came close to that level of production again. If the Rams take a chance, they need to ensure a team-friendly contract with incentives built in.

The Rams front office must address a number of holes in the roster. But if the Rams free agency lands Hunter Renfrow, you can take return specialist off that list.