Rams RBs Enter a Tough Situation

Several factors play a role in determining whether Gurley can outproduce Los Angeles’ backfield this year. Supporting casts, bodies of work, and projected workload all played an important role in concluding that Gurley has a slight edge over his former team.

The Rams remain on shaky ground. Jared Goff is coming off his worst season since his rookie year, and there’s no clear starter in the backfield. Based on his draft stock, Akers should win the job. However, the shortened offseason and lack of a preseason could hamper the rookie’s progress.

Both the Falcons and Rams suffer from poor offensive line play. When Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked every team’s line entering the 2020 season, Atlanta ranked 24th, and Los Angeles finished 25th. Los Angeles’ offensive line ranked 31st last season, according to PFF.

It comes down to which running back(s) can thrive behind a lousy line. That’s an area Akers has experience in. The former Florida State Seminole played his entire collegiate career behind a bad offensive line. Per PFF, Akers broke the fourth-most tackles among college backs in 2019 (76), and 3.9 of his 4.9 yards per carry came after contact.

Even if Akers is entering familiar territory, the young back is a relative unknown in the NFL landscape. The Rams possess no proven running backs. On the other hand, Gurley is a former All-Pro joining an offense that already features Julio Jones and Matt Ryan.

Akers ran for 2,875 yards and 27 touchdowns during his 36 collegiate appearances. That’s roughly 80 yards per game, but that production severely lags behind the college numbers posted by several other rookie backs.

In comparison, Gurley averaged over 100 yards per game in college. The prolific back also averaged over 85 rushing yards per game during three of his five seasons with the Rams. His 58 rushing touchdowns tie him with Marshall Faulk for the franchise record.