ESPN report: Two Rams media personalities JB Long and D’Marco Farr discuss the issues affecting the Rams’ running back room.
With the exception of Zach Evans, the two Rams media personalities claimed that the running backs are comparable overall.
JB Long and D’Marco Farr broke down what they saw from the early organized activities in an OTA video that the Los Angeles Rams released earlier this week. Both of them had a lot of good things to say about the Rams. While some of these films are superficial and intended only to tease fans about the next season and team, other times they delve a little deeper. My interest was piqued by the subject of LA’s running back room.
Regarding the team, Farr remarked, “Do the running backs have similar physical characteristics? Except for one, surely? They all have the same appearance—small bowling balls.
That comment bolsters the idea that Blake Corum and Kyren Williams have a very similar approach, but it also says that Boston Scott, the recently acquired running back, matches the same description. The lone running back who doesn’t seem to fit the “bowling ball” description is Zach Evans, who will soon begin his second season in the league.
It was Long who first identified Evans as being somewhat different from the other backs. He also mentioned Scott, saying, “Boston Scott fits right in with that group, but Zach Evans, second year running back, is the exception that kind of proves the rule.”
When it comes to Sean McVay and Les Snead’s final roster decisions, Turf Show Times has previously wondered if Evans will be the odd man out. Still, if Evans is the only different RB in the room, the Rams could want to hold onto him in order to vary up their rushing assault.
“All these guys are big, squatty, muscular type guys,” Farr would later add. Just by observing the running backs, you could practically determine the strategy.
Although it seems the Rams want every RB to have a similar approach, Evans could offer the change of pace that LA needs. The plan to start the season with Williams as the starting running back is probably still in place, even with Williams missing OTAs. However, if he can’t recover from his injury and if Evans offers something that the other RBs can’t, it will be interesting to see the final roster for the Los Angeles ball carriers. Do you believe LA could have done a better job at the position?
We actually won’t know what the carries look like until game time, but maybe we’ll find out when the players don the pads in the upcoming months. Williams was by far LA’s greatest running back overall since Todd Gurley, but will a new player take over at RB for the second straight season, or will Williams maintain that position?
After all, many predicted that Cam Akers would start last season, but Williams was given the start. Which member of the “bowling ball” room will be the leadback for this season? Can LA add a free agent running back who can handle the majority of the carries? Or is Evans, a guy in his second year, someone who didn’t really have a great debut season in terms of stats?
Evans definitely has a chance if Williams, following a less than stellar first campaign, takes over as the starting quarterback in his second year. History certainly has a curious tendency of repeating itself, no matter how unlikely that situation is.
