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When the Los Angeles Rams released multiple players with return experience, most notably Boston Scott, the team's 2024 free agent signing, fans wondered who would end up returning punts against the Detroit Lions in Week 1.
Would it be wide receiver Tutu Atwell? Running back Ronnie Rivers? Or maybe a wildcard option like Quentin Lake, who returned a kick in college at UCLA? Well, fans didn't have to wait long to learn the answer, as Sean McVay decided to address that question head-on during his post-roster cut media session, letting fans know that he knows the perfect man for the job: Kyren Williams.
“It's another opportunity for him to get touches and impact the game,” McVay told reporters via ESPN. “And you feel comfortable with that because of the confidence in Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers being able to spell him if need be.”
… huh?
Now granted, it is not unprecedented to have a starting player go back for a return situationally, as one of the most famous punt returns of the century belongs to one-time Rams receiver DeSean Jackson, who was a Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles when he executed the Miracle at the Meadowland II. But when you consider just how violent and, as a result, dangerous a return can be, subjecting a very important player, especially one who touched the ball 260 times last season, to that kind of action is a risk few teams are usually willing to stomach.
Is this a good idea? Has McVay figured out a way to revolutionize the return game like he has the running and passing game in the past? Or could the Rams instead have something else up their sleeve, be that a free agent signing or a practice squad target they would like to use in the role instead, with Kyren Williams being that player when it really matters? Austin Trammell was just released by the Jacksonville Jaguars; maybe signing him to the practice squad could at least give the team options for the first few weeks of the season as they evaluate the return game?
Only time will tell, but if you thought the trim down to 53 or the decision to trade Ernest Jones IV for a bag of peanuts a Day 3 pick swap was going to be the biggest Rams news of the day, then you were sorely mistaken, as McVay found a weird way to keep things interesting in late August.
Sean McVay breaks down what the Rams look for in a running back
After entering the summer with a fairly deep stable of potential running backs, the Rams are now heading into the regular season with just three on their 53-man roster, with rookie Corum joining Williams and Rivers as McVay's primary rushers heading into the fall.
How, you may wonder, did the Rams make this decision? Did they simply dislike what their other players, including veteran free agent addition Boston Scott, brought to the table? Or did something about Williams, Corum, and Rivers really stand out in a way the other players didn't? Well, in his media availability before the preseason finale, McVay decided to break down what he and RB coach Ron Gould look for at the position, which is a bit more complicated than whether a player likes to operate between the tackles or outside of them.
“I think really just consistency. [Running Backs Coach] Ron Gould does such a great job with that room as a whole, whatever the play is. Runners, we ask a lot of those guys in terms of… we always say better backs make better blockers. So they understand how to set those blocks. They understand how all our alignments and how we're hitting blocks are in alignment with their landmarks and aiming points. I think those guys have done a really good job as a whole being able to understand that. Where do I fit in protection? Where's my responsibilities in the pass game? So I think all five of those guys have done a nice job and Ron Gould does a great job leading the way.”
While Scott is a very strong player for his 5-foot-6 size, he was injured for much of the summer and really didn't get to show his full hand to the Rams before the team decided to let him walk back to Pennsylvania to join the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad. Fortunately, the Rams are rolling into the regular season with three players they know well and feel comfortable with, which may not directly replace experience but should make things exciting this fall.
