The Los Angeles Rams have been feeling pretty good throughout the 2021 offseason after making a blockbuster trade early on for former number one overall pick Matthew Stafford. All of the pieces offensively seemed to be coming into place with second-year back Cam Akers expected to take a huge step forward. As the Denver Broncos know all too well, the unfortunate reality of injuries can absolutely derail momentum and morale just like that.
The Rams have lost Akers to an Achilles injury, one of the worst a running back can suffer historically and are left with a relatively unproven backfield in the wake of that injury.
Darrell Henderson, a former third-round pick out of Memphis, will likely assume RB1 duties with a number of former late-round guys or undrafted players behind him.
Essentially, the Rams need some help at the running back position and it’s possible the Denver Broncos could oblige.
The Broncos added to their running back position in the 2021 offseason by signing free agent Mike Boone from the Minnesota Vikings and drafting Javonte Williams out of North Carolina.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, there are no immediate plans for the Rams to pursue other veteran options at the running back position.
Rams don't have any immediate plans to pursue a free-agent running back. They believe in Darrell Henderson, like last year's undrafted free agent RB Xavier Jones and also drafted RB Jake Funk in the seventh round this year. For now, they're standing pat, but could revisit later. https://t.co/kkIVXrySFq
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 20, 2021
With that being said, if the Rams could re-visit later, they may find themselves even more desperate for running back help and the Denver Broncos have an overloaded stable of backs they might inquire about.
What options might interest the Rams?
1. Melvin Gordon
There are undoubtedly two sides to this argument, so let’s get into both of them.
First, why the Denver Broncos would be inclined to not offer Gordon in a trade. The primary reason is that Gordon proved himself to be an asset to the team last season, especially in the second half of the year. He had 10 total touchdowns and is a rare veteran skill player on an offense loaded with youth.
Gordon makes the Denver Broncos better and in a year in which the playoffs are probably mandatory, why would you trade a guy like that?
The reason the Denver Broncos might trade Gordon is actually not just a single reason, but multiple.
First, the team used a second-round pick on North Carolina’s Javonte Williams, a player they had ranked as the RB1 of the 2021 NFL Draft. With Williams in the fold, Melvin Gordon’s future with the team is murky at best.
If the Rams are willing to part with a valuable asset — say a day two pick — the Denver Broncos would have to seriously consider that and roll with a trio of Williams, Boone, and Royce Freeman for the 2021 season.
Trading Gordon would save the Broncos nearly $7 million in 2021 cap space with a dead money hit of just $2 million. Not that the Broncos need the cap savings, but the cash savings might be nice and if you can get cash savings plus a high draft pick, you might consider that.
The Rams, poised to compete for a title, may prefer to trade for a player like Gordon compared to the next option the Denver Broncos could offer…
2. Royce Freeman
The Denver Broncos’ third-round pick (one of them, at least) in the 2018 NFL Draft, might be in need of a change of scenery for the 2021 season.
Entering a contract year, Freeman looks like he will be — at best — the RB4 on the Denver Broncos in 2021 if he even makes the roster. He’s been considered a likely cut candidate by just about anybody who covers the team, but if he’s waived, how good are the Rams’ odds of landing him on waivers?
Even if they take a wait-and-see approach, trading for Freeman would be their best and probably only bet to get him on their roster.
The Rams claimed Justin Hollins when the Denver Broncos waived him last year, and they might go after another former Oregon Duck who could help them this season.
Freeman has shown he is a capable three-down back. He obviously hasn’t worked out in Denver the way the team had hoped when they used a high third-round pick on him in 2018, but he definitely started well.
As a rookie, Freeman excelled after contact and prior to an ankle injury looked like he was well on his way to RB1 duties into the future.
In 2019, he was much more heavily utilized as a receiver and caught 43 passes.
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When Pat Shurmur came aboard, Freeman was barely used at all. A fresh start could do wonders for him, especially in a contract year.