While the Los Angeles Rams were the NFC West Division Champions in 2024, there are plenty of area of the team that need to show up with some level of upgrade and/or leveling up this season. Some areas you may not think of right away, but we are not talking about Fantasy Football now. The Rams must view the team as a whole.
And some aspects of the Rams total package was simply a bit lacking in the grand scheme of things in 2024.
If a team is downtrodden and aiming to do better, any upgrade or improvement over the previous season is welcome. But after the Rams have earned a playoff seeding in each of the past two seasons, that bar is a bit higher now. It's no longer enough to catch passes, but now the need is to tack on yards after the catch. It's no longer enough to turn 1000 snaps of the football into high production, it's now necessary to make every snap count on a per snap basis.
Defenders need to tackle. Offensive weapons have to put up plenty of yards per reception or carry. Each player must do more than earn a paycheck. Every Rams player on the football field has to make every play special.
Some of the improvement has to come from individual players, but some of the improvement has to come from a better use of existing resources. In 2024, the team opted to carry four running backs and, ultimately, four tight ends on the active 53-man Rams roster. However, the offensive workload for those positions on gameday did not warrant the overload. What do I mean?
If you review the actual usage of positions on offense per Lineup.com, you get the following breakdown of offensive snaps per position:
- Quarterbacks (3) - 1,090 offensive snaps
- Running backs (4) - 1,090 offensive snaps
- Tight ends (3/4) - 1,247 offensive snaps
- Wide receivers (5/7) - 3,113 offensive snaps
As you can see, the Rams were rather heavy at tight end, and absolutely heavy at running back. Did the Rams intend to do more on game day at those two positions? Or did the team simply miscalcule the demands of a 17-game season from previous season shortages?
The problem with overstocking the roster at running back and tight end is the logjam created at other positions. The Rams roster can only hold 53 players. That includes veterans with specific roles now, plus younger players who need to develop through gradually increasing workloads.
So where should Rams fans look for improvement in 2024? Here are four areas that need breakout players this season:
(4) - Running back
While I may ruffle some feathers by asserting that the Rams need more out of the running back position, keep in mind that this is about the entire offense, and not one player. But even if it were, the truth is that the Rams are simply not keeping pace with other NFL teams by insisting on feeding RB Kyren Williams a steady diet of carries.
The problem is not how many rushing yards that Kyren Williams can put up. Williams rans for 1,144 yards and 12 TDs on 228 carries in 2023. He ran for 1,299 yards and 14 TDs on 319 carries in 2024. But he is getting too much of the Rams overall workload. For example, how many 20+-yard runs did the Rams put up in 2024? The Rams can it deal last.
Fewest rushes of 20+ yards from running backs in 2024:
Broncos: 4
Saints: 3
Raiders: 3
Chiefs: 2
Rams: 2— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 1, 2025
It's tough to break out for huge runs when you are not exceptionally fast and are fatigued from too much work. You see, Kyren Williams carried the football more than 70 percent of the Rams runs in 2024. On top of that, you have the matter of an increasing number of fumbles by Williams. That was more than an inconvenience. It hard-halted several offensive drives, including a key moment in the Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs.
Out of 31 running backs w/ min. 150 carries, #Rams Kyren Williams was T-2nd in fumbles (6).
Not saying this will be immediate but Jarquez Hunter could see himself in a role should Kyren's fumbling problem continue and as the most explosive back in that backfield with a Speed… pic.twitter.com/N6rHHyj15J— FantasyOso (@elfantasyoso) May 17, 2025
I don't mean to lay all of this at Kyren Williams' feet. The Rams play calling is culpable as well. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Oregon rookie RB Bucky Irving in Round 4 of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he rushed 207 times for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns in his rookie season. The Rams drafted Michigan rookie RB Blake Corum in Round 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he rushed for 207 yards on 58 carries and 0 touchdowns.
Do you see the problem here?
The Rams can't have it both ways. Either share the workload or go with far fewer players.
Remedy:
While the Rams are entering training camp with six running backs, the optimal solution is to build a plan around three runners in 2025. Based on the investment of vital draft picks, the Rams are most likely to go with Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, and Jarquez Hunter. But admittedly, the players are not crucial.
You see, the goal in 2025 is to have three rested and productive running backs at the ready for each game. That means limiting the feature running back to 20 carries in a single game, and 45 carries for every three games. Why so few? The wear and tear over the course of a season is cummulative. So running 25 times per game not only hurts the player early, but will have lasting effects that carry over into the postseason.
The Rams can toggle between Williams and Corum for that 20 carry workload per game. And Jarquez Hunter's blazing speed can create opportunities for a change of pace running as the game develops.
The Rams have invested two valuable draft picks into the running back position in the past two drafts. Unless there is a legitimate reason to park that talent on the bench for someday, the team has to change its strategy and get real-time production out of those talented players this season.
(3) - Offensive line
On paper, the Rams plan at offensive line in 2024 was rather intriguing. The team signed free agent IOL Jonah Jackson to play left guard, cross-trained IOL Steve Avila to play center, and extended IOL Kevin Dotson to return at right guard. Only that never happened.
Avila did not adapt to center, forcing the team to rethink the entire strategy. Ultimately, Jackson was moved to center and Avila was restored to his 2023 role at left guard. But even then, the plans never took hold.
Avila and Jackson were injured in preseason and reaggravated those injuries when the 2024 NFL season arrived. As a result, the team had to promote rookie Beaux Limmer to center in Game 1 and trial IOL Logan Bruss at left guard. Bruss did not pan out either, forcing the team to release Bruss and promote undrafted rookie IOL Justin Dedich to left guard. I could go on and on, but you get the picture.
The early mishaps of the Rams offensive line squandered ideal conditions for the Rams to jump out to a fast start. The Rams were 1-4 by the time that the Week 6 BYE arrived, and the offensive line was struggling to retain the same starting five players week to week. That has to improve in 2025.
Remedy:
Help is already in the making. The Rams reverted to former starting center Coleman Shelton, signing him this offseason. The plan is to install Shelton at center, yielding the Rams' starting five offensive linemen and backups as:
- LT Alaric Jackson | Backup LT Warren McClendon Jr. | Reserve LT A.J. Arcuri
- LG Steve Avila | Backup LG Justin Dedich | Reserve LG Wyatt Bowles
- C Coleman Shelton | Backup C Beaux Limmer | Reserve C Dylan McMahon
- RG Kevin Dotson | Backup RG Willie Lampkin | Reserve RG Ben Dooley
- RT Rob Havenstein | Backup RT K.T. Leveston | Reserve RT Trey Wedig
There is no cross-training planned for 2025. In fact, these are the same starters in 2025 that started in 2023.And both Coleman Shelton and Rob Havenstein started for the Rams Super Bowl winning team in 2021.
The Rams do not need to aim for All-Pro offensive linemen, not yet. They simply need a group of five starting offensive linemen to remain healthy long enough to build chemistry, communication, and continuity. This is a very talented group, but they need time to rediscover an ability to work together. If the team is to have any hope or early success this season, the offensive line has to stay healthy.
(2) - Tight end
The Los Angeles Rams enter the 2025 Rams training camp with six tight ends on the roster. The Rams love to stockpile offensive weapons, and for the second consecutive season, the team is bursting with talented tight ends. The big question is, will it make a difference in 2025?
It certainly did not seem to last season. The Rams knew that starting TE Tyler Higbee would be sidelined for a majority of the season, so the team signed former Seattle Seahawks TE Colby Parkinson to a rather hefty multi-year contract that seemed to anoint him to a starting role. But when the season arrived, Parkinson was no better than his teammates Hunter Long or Davis Allen. It was not until Higbee returned in the final three games of the season that the team enjoyed solid production from the position.
Just how desperate were the Rams in 2024? Of the 1,247 offensive snaps tight ends played, the group put up the following numbers: 51 receptions, 83 targets, 453 yards, and three touchdowns. Compare that to Las Vegas Raiders rookie TE Brock Bowers, who had 112 receptions out of 153 targets for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns.
But before we turn the page, take note of the fact that Bower was targeted 153 times. The Rams will never target a tight end at that level. So, what is the solution?
Remedy:
The Los Angeles Rams have sought a rookie tight end in each of the past three NFL drafts, finally scoring by drafting Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson. Many talented tight ends were up for grabs in this draft, but the Rams settled in on Ferguson. Will he add a new dimension to the offense? Many draft analysts think so. After all, the Rams have had a talented tight end in their sights for three seasons. So, what can the Rams do differently with Ferguson on board?
The Rams had great success with 12-personnel packages in 2024, but limited deploying two tight ends to just over 14 percent of the offensive snaps. The reason was that the Rams roster was bursting with blocking tight ends who could catch the occasional pass. Ferguson is a pass-catching tight end who can throw the occasional block.
As long as he can finally master blocking to the satisfaction of HC Sean McVay, Ferguson brings a tight end equivalent of Cooper Kupp to the Rams offense. What Ferguson does differently is that he is a bona fide receiving threat. Unlike the big-bodied tank maneuvers of Colby Parkinson, Ferguson is a sleek, tight-end speedster. You see, he led all tight ends with a 4.63-second 40-yard dash.
Just for comparison purposes, former WR Cooper Kupp ran a 4.62-second 40-yard dash.
Ferguson is more than just one more body in the tight end room. He brings the offensive arsenal that the team has sought for a very long time. Will he put up yards like Brock Bowers in his rookie season? Not by a long shot. But he does bring the potential to unlock an integral component to a Rams offense that was desperately missing in 2024.
Between Tyler Higbee and Terrance Ferguson, the Rams offense can put up 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Now, they just have to go out and execute like we all know that they can.
(1) - Linebacker
When the Rams parted ways with proficient starting ILB Ernest Jones just before the 2024 NFL season started, the team's production at the inside linebacker position plummeted. And for the early part of the 2024 NFL season, the pair of veteran ILBs Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom only impressed the coaching staff, as far too many missed tackles and passive play allowed other team to wallop the Rams, putting the team down to a 1-4 record in the first five games as the team limped into a Week 6 BYE.
The first turning point for the Rams defense was the insertion of undrafted rookie ILB Omar Speights to take over for the injured Troy Reeder. While he was very inexperienced, the Rams saw an instant upgrade at run defense. Speights may have been learning his NFL craft through trial and error, but he was determined to put his facemask into the belly of any running back coming his way.
And that devil-may-care attitude started to bleed over to his teammate, Christian Rozeboom, who began to be more aggressive in his run defense. The Rams have since lost Rozeboom and backup linebacker Jake Hummel. Troy Reeder is back. But are the Rams willing to forget the struggles of the past with Reeder? Or will the team truly aim at playing the best inside linebackers in 2025? The Rams need far better production from the position in 2025. Can they find it?
Remedy:
While Rams fans have seen ILB Troy Reeder land a starting role in the defense far too often, I suspect that this year may be different. After all, Reeder is not the only linebacker who joined the team in the offseason. The Rams signed veteran run-stuffer Nate Landman. Much like the introduction of veteran center Coleman Shelton as the likely starter over second-year center Beaux Limmer, Landman may be joining the Rams roster as the veteran who will start at inside linebacker over second-year Omar Speights.
But where the Rams' true potential at the inside linebacker position really starts to brighten is the selection of rookie ILB Chris 'Pooh" Paul Jr. in the 2025 NFL Draft. You see, the Rams seldom draft an inside linebacker, and only Ernest Jones was selected earlier by the Rams since HC Sean McVay took over.
The Rams grabbed Paul in Round 5, but some draft analysts projected him as early as Day 2. You see, Paul is slightly undersized for an inside linebacker, but he makes up for that with superb football IQ, a dynamic ability to read offensive plays and be in position to make plays, cover tight ends, and running backs, and a remarkable ability to shed blockers.
But he is not the only rookie vying for playing time and a roster spot. He has company in the form of Shaun Dolac.
Both Dolac and Paul are undersized, but both boast tremendous impact. And the Rams must be committed to their skillsets, as they are nearly identical in height, weight, and even both timing a 4.63-second 40-yard dash.
There is room for both linebackers on the Rams roster, one as a starting ILB and one as a key contributor on special teams and backing up the starter. But the Rams have to commit to stronger run defense in 2025. How can undersized linebackers help that?
Both Paul and Dolac offer the speed and pass coverage ability to be three-down defenders. That means that the Rams needn't automatically pull out a linebacker to swap with a defensive back on passing downs. And the presence of a linebacker to diagnose and stuff a run can make a huge difference of the course of a season.
The Rams have done well in the past two seasons. But to return to postseason competition, the Rams have to insist on better performances and durability in 2025. With the team's ability to draft solid NFL talent, these are certainly achievable goals.
Now, we just have to sit back and wait for the team to make it happen. As always, thanks for reading.
