Are the Los Angeles Rams about to trade running back Cam Akers and if so why?
All is not well in Los Angeles and by the looks of things it could get worse between the Rams and their star running back. Is there any way this can be fixed?
It’s no secret that the NFL is a cutthroat business, and even more so when it comes to roster management. On the other hand, one has to admit that the developing situation where the Rams and their running back are concerned is somewhat puzzling.
What’s up with Cam Akers and the Los Angeles Rams
Though many details are still unclear, what reports clearly indicate is that there is a rift between Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay and running back Cam Akers. To bring you up to speed, Akers was reportedly made inactive by the team for Week 2′s clash with the San Francisco 49ers. This begs questions, of course, as Akers himself is healthy i.e., the decision to sideline him was down to the coach. With that in mind, it seems logical that further reports have now alluded to the idea that the Rams have already contacted teams around the league to see whether a deal is possible. As for Akers himself, the 24-year-old former Florida State star has admitted that he’s as lost as anyone else when it comes to his status with the team.
But why do the Rams want to trade Cam Akers?
To put it mildly, the relationship between Cam Akers and Sean McVay has seen better days, especially during the last year. From the start of the 2022-23 season, speculation began to intensify after Akers got just three carries during Week 1. Though he did see more action across the next four games, Week 6 and 8 saw him made inactive, at which point rumors of a trade began to circulate. As you would know, that trade never came to pass, so Akers took to the field in Week 9 and put in a series of impressive performances over the remainder of the campaign. This brought us to this year’s offseason, during which the team in no way addressed the position of running back and so, naturally, the belief was that Akers would retain his starting spot. We were wrong.
This brings us back to the initial question: ‘Why do the Rams want to offload a guy who was a central part of a Super Bowl-winning run that was made as recently as 2021?’ Well, to be perfectly honest, while the jury is still out on this one, it could well be down to numbers. Yes, it’s true that Akers tied for the NFL lead after Week 1 with 22 carries, however, he was second to teammate Kyren Williams in both carries and snaps when the game was tight. Indeed, Akers really only got the large majority of his carries late in the fourth quarter when the win was already secured. As you can imagine, Williams will be tasked with the ground game in Week 2 now that Akers has been sidelined.
So, what happens to Cam Akers now?
Well, assumedly he will be traded. Of course, there is no word as to who nor when. It’s worth noting that this - as mentioned before - is not the first time that he’s been connected with a move out of LA. The question is whether it’s going to happen for real this time. That this is his second go-around will likely limit what the Rams can get in any deal, but we can only assume they considered that fact before making him inactive. That’s all to say that one way or another it seems certain that Akers’ time with the Rams has come to an end. Now it’s about whether he can get back on track once he makes a move.