The Rams Should Invest In A Fullback This Offseason

The Los Angeles Rams' inability to mirror their 2023 rushing production could be fixed with a simple tweak to their offense.

Sep 18, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead watches players warm up before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams have struggled to run the ball with the same efficiency as they once did in 2023. Despite Kyren Williams achieving another 1,000-yard season, there is a reason why despite having 88 more carries than he did last season, Williams only has 155 more yards.

It's not so much that the Rams' offense has failed to execute but it is more like the NFL has evolved. The odd part is that it has evolved backwards, resorting to a style of offense similar to what was witnessed in the early 2000s.

In order to counter the passing offenses that have perpetuated the NFL in the past 15 years, defenses have changed their mindset, oftentimes deploying two deep safeties to take away the long ball while having much more hybrid linebackers built to defend the underneath passing attack.

Such examples of the NFL's modernization are shown in the body types of players like Kyle Hamilton and Fred Warner compared to the big-thumping safeties and linebackers of previous generations, like Ed Reed or Jessie Tuggle.

As a result, the once potent offense of Sean McVay has not had the same game-changing impact that it once did. It also doesn't help that McVay's coaching tree and ideology have infected the NFL with many franchises running similar schemes.

Due to that, defensive coordinators have spent the past eight years perfecting their approach to defending said offense. As a result, despite having a strong offensive line, McVay's run scheme has failed to produce as expected.

There's an easy fix -- a fullback.

For younger fans, please watch the tape of Mike Alstott and Lorenzo Neal. Those two men paved the way for incredible seasons for Warrick Dunn and LaDainian Tomlinson. Andy Reid, Sean Payton, Kyle Shanahan, Jim Harbaugh, John Harbaugh, Mike McDaniel, and Kevin O'Connell have all used a fullback to make the playoffs in the past two seasons.

Williams is a downfield runner. He needs to run the ball with a QB firmly placed under center. A fullback will allow Williams to follow him on his hip into the secondary, where he can turn on the burners toward the endzone. For an offense predicated on the run, a fullback is the final chess piece for an offense in need of just a little bit of help.

There are a lot of promising players coming out of college that would be able to fill the role. For GM Les Snead, though it might not be his most sexy of draft picks, it may be his most important yet.

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