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Forget kicker?! Who will return kicks and punts for LA Rams?
The LA Rams need both a punt and kick returner this year. So who will return the kicks? The LA Rams special teams are in a bit of flux right now. In fact, ...
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The LA Rams special teams are in a bit of flux right now. In fact, the only certainty for the Rams is that the punting duties will be handled by All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker. After that? It’s anyone’s guess. Well, some guesses have already been made by some of the national media, but that’s likely just based in the past players who have remained on the roster. For example, both ESPN’s depth chart for the LA Rams and CBS Sports depth chart for the Rams agree that the punt returner will be Nsimba Webster and the kick returner will be Greg Dortch.
Per Lineups.com, the LA Rams punt return team from 2019 was ranked 15th in the NFL, while the kick return team finished 30th in the NFL. That likely contributed to the team’s interest in parting ways with return specialist JoJo Natson and even wide receiver Mike Thomas, who also helped in the return game.
Bonamego is a new dealer
The LA Rams have a new dealer for special teams -John Bonamego. While in Detroit, the Lions boasted the 8th-ranked punt return and the 25th-ranked kick return squad in the NFL. Unlike the Rams election to go with smaller but fast receivers, Bonamego assigned both punt and kick return duties to Lions 5-foot-10 190-pound cornerback Jamal Agnew. For punts, Agnew split the duties with 5-foot-11 185-pound wide receiver Danny Amendola. What that suggests is that Bonamego will have a primary return specialist for both kicks and punts, but will add a second punt returner to protect either sideline.
So the Rams will likely employ the same basic principals in the return game. Two punt returners who will split the field, and one of those two as the kick returner. That is easy enough. But now comes the hard part. Who will win out the jobs for the Rams return specialist(s)? And there is where the competition will glow red-hot.
In the mix
Of course, one player who is in the mix returns from last season, 5-foot-10 180-pound wide receiver Nsimba Webster. While his previous experience with the Rams would normally be an advantage, I do not see much boost to his winning the job in 2020 due to his seven punt returns in 2019, as well as two kick returns. While he has some experience, his numbers are too light to project anything in 2020. He’s familiar with the role, and that is about all he has going for him so far.
While 5-foot-7 173-pound Greg Dortch is also a veteran, he was signed in January 2020 to an LA Rams futures contract. He was a return specialist for the Carolina Panthers in 2019, Again, his volume was very light, but he has some success in returning punts. His production when he did get his hands on the ball flashed brilliance. He’ll definitely be one player worth keeping an eye on.
Other veteran players who should compete for a return role
Running back Darrell Henderson would be very wise to lobby for special teams play. After all, his rookie debut for the LA Rams was anything but memorable. And the competition is too heated in 2020 for him to be passive about his spot on the team and await the ball to come to him. So the 5-foot-8 208-pound running back needs to plug into the game however he can. Big runs in the return game is certainly a sure-fire way to do exactly that.
Another player who would be very wise to toss their hat into the ring is wide receiver, Josh Reynolds. While many Rams fans have lobbied for this season to finally give Reynolds his opportunity to shine on the roster, he too faces incredibly stiff competition. In his contract year, he needs to reprove to the coaches just how valuable he can be. The 6-foot-3 196-pound wide receiver is a huge target for QB Jerod Goff on routes, but he can add a great deal of value to the team by rotating in as an alternate for punt returns.
Rookies who could win return role
DB Dayan Ghanwoloku (a.k.a Dayan Lake) – 5-foot-10 205-pound undrafted cornerback Dayan Ghanwoloku is a speedster blessed with 4.41-second 40-yard speed. And he fits the Bonamego design of a slightly bigger player who can play cornerback. That could cross off two roles with one player. He’d relied on that speed to win the battles in pass coverage, but that same speed that handicapped him in college could earn him enough time in the pro league to truly develop into a solid pass defender as well.
WR Brandon Polk – 5-foot-9 180-pound undrafted wide receiver Brandon Polk has been on the Rams radar for some time. Perhaps it’s the fact that he registered a 4.28-second 40-yard dash time. That’s .05 seconds faster than 5-foot-10 185-pound Brandin Cooks’ time. Can the Rams harness that type of speed at wide receiver? Perhaps, but you can bet that the Rams have a plan for him in both punt returns and kick returns. In fact, the Rams remained in constant contact with him until they signed him after the draft, citing both kick and punt returner duties as a significant reason for their interest.
Didn’t expect to wind up with Winston
Easop Winston – 6-foot-0 190-pound undrafted wide receiver Easop Winston was a huge reason for Washington State University’s offense. After all, he boasts a 4.41-second 40-yard dash time. And he is definitely a player who very likely can contribute when the offense has the ball as well. The reality is that many expected Winston to be drafted early on day three. After all, he was a primary target for now-Jacksonville-Jaguars-starting-quarterback Gardner Minshew in 2018. And he was rated very well in a very deep and talented receiver class. Don’t be surprised if he emerges with a significant role for the Rams in 2020.
While we cannot say how improved the LA Rams special teams will be for 2020, or even if the team will improve, it’s pretty apparent that special teams coordinator John Bonamego loves to set up very competitive groups to earn a chance to play for his squad. While everyone looks elsewhere, the Rams have snuck in seriously talented players for specific roles on the team for 2020. Will it all mesh and synch up for the team? The jury is still out on that front. But the Rams have amassed a serious amount of surprisingly high talent for the team this season.
