RB's we may want to look at...

[RamsCardsJazz]

The Colts have like 5 good RB's, maybe we can get one of theirs.

 

[Tano]

The Rams had plenty of other needs prior to the Akers injury, spending another 2'nd round pick on a RB would have been correctly viewed as a luxury pick, and this at a time when 3/4's of this board was anticipating our drafting an Offensive Lineman. As it went, many went into melt-down mode when Tutu's name was first called, ... and if either Corbett or Allen are injured and miss valuable starts, a lot of people will be pointing fingers towards our draft. jmo.

I agree and I think they could have gotten Tutu later in the draft.

 

[Memphis Ram]

They drafted three more receivers. One in round 2…again.


If Akers and Henderson were completely healthy all of 2020 then I’d feel pretty secure with status quo. Consider that they had Jones on the roster and still drafted Funk. Doesn’t that suggest they weren’t sure about Jones? Funk with two knee repairs does not instill confidence either. There were a few good backs in rounds 3-5.

Look at San Francisco last year. Seattle the year before. Runningback has become like DB. You can never have enough good ones.

Funk was a 7th round flier. And it's my understanding that he was drafted just as much for his special teams prowess.

And the 3 WRs drafted, one of which is being called a TE, represent the type of WRs they didn't have on the roster.

 

[Merlin]

I don't think @dieterbrock is too far off in saying Tutu was a McVay type push pick similar to Everett. It did feel like a "we let WR fall behind the curve go get the best one here" type pick. But also that does not mean the pick will miss. Unlike with the Everett pick they may still hit on the guy.

Also as it pertains to RB they could have drafted one where they took E Brown. Who will probably make the team but hasn't really shined very much as a guy who is probably too heavy footed for OLB and not strong enough yet for the DL rotation. Haven't looked at which backs were available but you could play the "should have drafted a RB" game at a few spots in this year's draft.

For the record I'm still quite happy with this draft though. I'm a bit concerned with B Brown, would have been nice to see him blowing some shit up in preseason and I considered him a key guy with my lack of trust with Robinson. But it seems like we get to wait to see Robinson in action so I hope the production is worth all that. I'm gonna be pissed if he plays like the dogshit JAG he looked like last year though, especially after they elect not to play him in preseason and get him some live snaps he probably needs.

 

[Memphis Ram]

Everett was drafted to wreck havoc in the slot and play a Jordan Reed type of role for the Rams.

And, IMO, the main reason that didn't happen is because they took a slot WR in Cooper Kupp in the very next round. And perhaps Higbee proved to be better than the incoming staff probably believed.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Funk was a 7th round flier. And it's my understanding that he was drafted just as much for his special teams prowess.

And the 3 WRs drafted, one of which is being called a TE, represent the type of WRs they didn't have on the roster.

My point was they can draft extra receivers why can’t they draft extra runningbacks?

I know there is no guarantees but a higher valued runningback tends to produce more so than an udfa or seventh round pick. They now have 5-7 receivers that they can throw to, not including TE or RB. But they could conceivably run out of runningbacks to hand off to, or at least productive runningbacks. It’s why I hoped for them to draft another mid round back. I was really hoping for Herbert and he only went in round 6. Carter in round 3.

I just felt the position needed some insurance. Same with Guard/Center the last few years ( like many others).

 

[Memphis Ram]

My point was they can draft extra receivers why can’t they draft extra runningbacks?

I know there is no guarantees but a higher valued runningback tends to produce more so than an udfa or seventh round pick. They now have 5-7 receivers that they can throw to, not including TE or RB. But they could conceivably run out of runningbacks to hand off to, or at least productive runningbacks. It’s why I hoped for them to draft another mid round back. I was really hoping for Herbert and he only went in round 6. Carter in round 3.

I just felt the position needed some insurance. Same with Guard/Center the last few years ( like many others).

I see what you are saying. But, given that there can be 3-4 WRs on the field at one time and there's usually only one RB makes a difference, IMO. Especially coupled with the strong finish Akers had his rookie year, the Henderson selection the prior year, and the other team needs.

 

[CGI_Ram]

And, IMO, the main reason that didn't happen is because they took a slot WR in Cooper Kupp in the very next round.

 

[Corbin]

The Rams had plenty of other needs prior to the Akers injury, spending another 2'nd round pick on a RB would have been correctly viewed as a luxury pick, and this at a time when 3/4's of this board was anticipating our drafting an Offensive Lineman. As it went, many went into melt-down mode when Tutu's name was first called, ... and if either Corbett or Allen are injured and miss valuable starts, a lot of people will be pointing fingers towards our draft. jmo.

As the Aaron Donald pick was viewed as a luxury pick at the time as well. How did that turn out? So you're saying we can pick up a 5'2 100 lb smurf extra WR on a group that overall as crazy depth is good but getting proper depth at the RB position behind Akers and a oft injured Henderson is a luxury?

Current RB Tally:
Complete NFL seasons
Akers 0/2
Henderson 0/2


Jake Funk 2 ACL tears

Practice Sqaud 3 some:
Xavier Jones
Robert Calais
Otis Anderson


We are trusting the most important part of our season with this group?

 

[I like Rams]

I wanted Micheal Carter in the the 4th (I believe that was the round he was still available in). Call it hindsight but Akers getting injured isn't a surprise to me.

 

[Allen2McVay]

I wanted Micheal Carter in the the 4th (I believe that was the round he was still available in). Call it hindsight but Akers getting injured isn't a surprise to me.

Jets took Carter early in Round 4 (second pick I believe).

The Rams would have needed to use their late-third round pick to get him. That was the Ernest Jones selection.

 

[Jacobarch]

The Colts have like 5 good RB's, maybe we can get one of theirs.

Interesting you bring up the colts. I watched their game and all of their olines are solid. Which help your RBs tremendously. The colts and their new regime have a knack for picking good olinemen much like the Rams have a knack for good DBs.
Look for teams to scavenge their cut players and practice squad guys.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Jets took Carter early in Round 4 (second pick I believe).

The Rams would have needed to use their late-third round pick to get him. That was the Ernest Jones selection.

Or they could have traded back with the round 2 pick. Or even taken Brown in round 2 and Carter in round 3. ( I'm sure that you can tell that I'm not a big believer in TuTu, its mainly his slight frame and with Jefferson picked the year before, now add Harris, possibly Jackson, DJ and Skowronek, how many touches will there be to go around? )

 

[Riverumbbq]

As the Aaron Donald pick was viewed as a luxury pick at the time as well. How did that turn out? So you're saying we can pick up a 5'2 100 lb smurf extra WR on a group that overall as crazy depth is good but getting proper depth at the RB position behind Akers and a oft injured Henderson is a luxury?

Current RB Tally:
Complete NFL seasons
Akers 0/2
Henderson 0/2


Jake Funk 2 ACL tears

Practice Sqaud 3 some:
Xavier Jones
Robert Calais
Otis Anderson


We are trusting the most important part of our season with this group?

Pretty weak to equate a potential #57 RB in the last draft with our seeking Aaron Donald at #13 back in 2014, ... and no, I didn't consider Donald a luxury pick.
I wasn't aboard the Tutu train, I wanted an offensive lineman in the draft, and no, that wouldn't have been a luxury pick either.
Look, shit happens, no one could have anticipated the Akers injury any more than anyone else's, if the Rams handle things right, they'll come up with an answer following the cuts, the season hasn't begun yet and there will be options.
While he seems to have become a fan favorite of sorts, Funk hasn't reached my category level as our #2 or #3 guy on the depth chart, we'll need to expend some capital Imo, whether it be a draft pick in a trade or some talent on the waiver wire falling to us, but I have to believe, regardless of what they are telling us, that Les Snead is working the phones. jmo.

 

[Riverumbbq]

I agree and I think they could have gotten Tutu later in the draft.

I honestly don't know how much later we might have gotten Tutu if we continued to trade down, I did see him as a bit of a luxury pick at the time because we had just signed DeSean Jackson and I really like Van Jefferson, Kupp & Woods, ... Stafford already had an abundance of quality targets, my question was just how often will Tutu be able to provide an additional threat considering how loaded we already were ? I'm not anti-Tutu, I see a quality receiver, although he may be more readily used following the 2021 season. jmo.

 

[Corbin]

Pretty weak to equate a potential #57 RB in the last draft with our seeking Aaron Donald at #13 back in 2014, ... and no, I didn't consider Donald a luxury pick.
I wasn't aboard the Tutu train, I wanted an offensive lineman in the draft, and no, that wouldn't have been a luxury pick either.
Look, shit happens, no one could have anticipated the Akers injury any more than anyone else's, if the Rams handle things right, they'll come up with an answer following the cuts, the season hasn't begun yet and there will be options.
While he seems to have become a fan favorite of sorts, Funk hasn't reached my category level as our #2 or #3 guy on the depth chart, we'll need to expend some capital Imo, whether it be a draft pick in a trade or some talent on the waiver wire falling to us, but I have to believe, regardless of what they are telling us, that Les Snead is working the phones. jmo.

Not really. As many thought ( media, fans, and odds) that DL was far from a reality and a need considering who we had. But you don’t ignore talent which is why AD ended up on our team.

Also zero people even considered AD a HOF at this time si the notion of this is very practical and relevant.
JMHOBIC

 

[CGI_Ram]

Rams can’t run from worries about their ball carriers

The young backup running backs failed to eliminate doubts during the preseason loss to Chargers.

www.ocregister.com

Rams can’t run from worries about their ball carriers​

THOUSAND OAKS — Either the Rams need more from their running backs, or they need more running backs.

The question – will the backup ball carriers on their roster be good enough? – lingered after a lackluster showing by the running game in the Rams’ 13-6 preseason loss to the Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Saturday.

Xavier Jones, Raymond Calais and rookie Jake Funk combined for 47 yards on 17 carries (a 2.8 average) in their first public audition for the role of backup to Darrell Henderson, who has replaced injured Cam Akers as the lead back.

Whether the problem was them, the second- and third-string offensive line, or the vanilla play-calling common in exhibition games, the Rams coach Sean McVay was blunt in his assessment.

“The run game, you know, it was sloppy, it wasn’t very good, it wasn’t clean,” McVay said Monday after practice. “There were a couple of opportunities, but for the most part I didn’t think it was very good.”

McVay gave credit to the Chargers, although they started a defensive line made up of second- and third-stringers.

“It’s a lot of guys that haven’t gotten those full-speed reps before,” McVay said of the Rams’ backs and blockers. “That’s no excuse. We have high expectations for those guys.”

The coach didn’t spare the line, on which Chandler Brewer, Coleman Shelton and Bobby Evans started across the interior with Alaric Jackson and Tremayne Anchrum at tackle.

“I want to see these guys really start to implement the fundamentals and the techniques that (offensive line) coach (Kevin) Carberry’s been working on hard,” McVay said. “We want to see consistency from one snap to the next. We want to see these guys play as a unit, really good communication.”

The Rams started the 2020 season with Malcolm Brown, Akers and Henderson splitting carries. Brown left as a free agent last March. Akers tore his Achilles on July 19. Henderson’s own durability is an issue after he missed practices or games with hamstring, quadriceps and ankle injuries last year.

“Every day (in practice), we get to really evaluate and see where Darrell’s at from the standpoint of how many carries (he can handle) week in and week out,” offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell said.

Backups will be vital, but Jones, Calais, Funk and rookie Otis Anderson have zero career regular-season carries.

And there’s no easy answer in the trade or free agent markets. The top unsigned free agent is Todd Gurley, and McVay has ruled out signing the former Ram.

Thomas Brown, the Rams’ running-backs coach and assistant head coach, pointed to positives in Saturday’s game: The backs played almost mistake-free, Funk broke a backfield tackle and converted a fourth-and-1, and Calais flashed his speed (more on a 46-yard punt return than with a handoff).

“I just want to see more creativity after contact,” Brown said. “There’s not always going to be a huge run, a huge gaping hole. In this league, to separate yourself, I want to see guys who can create for themselves, break multiple tackles, win their one-on-ones.”

Brown said he wasn’t thinking about whether the Rams need running-back reinforcements.

“My job is to coach the guys in this building and make those guys the best they can be,” he said. “If an opportunity comes where we’re having movement at our spot or anywhere else on this team, we’ll address that when the time comes.”

 

[dang]

Cuts start today but won’t finish for a couple weeks. Let’s see what happens in the Raiders preseason game but I’m confident the Rams will make very calculated moves at RB and IOL if the woeful run game results occur.

 

[dieterbrock]

As the Aaron Donald pick was viewed as a luxury pick at the time as well. How did that turn out?

A team who hadnt won more than 7 games in 10 years makes no "luxury picks".
And the Rams certainly certainly needed help on the interior during the 4-3 days.
Not even close as a comp

 

[Memphis Ram]

As the Aaron Donald pick was viewed as a luxury pick at the time as well. How did that turn out? So you're saying we can pick up a 5'2 100 lb smurf extra WR on a group that overall as crazy depth is good but getting proper depth at the RB position behind Akers and a oft injured Henderson is a luxury?

Current RB Tally:
Complete NFL seasons
Akers 0/2
Henderson 0/2


Jake Funk 2 ACL tears

Practice Sqaud 3 some:
Xavier Jones
Robert Calais
Otis Anderson


We are trusting the most important part of our season with this group?

Aaron Donald was considered by many to be the best player available when the Rams made that selection. That's the difference.