Cam Akers has undergone plenty of turmoil as the Los Angeles Rams’ lead running back over the past few seasons. But at his peak, there is no denying the talent and his ability to add dynamic speed to the Rams offense.
But in past seasons, Akers was seen as relatively undersized for the running back position, making up for it by being lightning quick with his feet. It appears this season he may be looking to go in a different direction.
With the full confidence of the coaching staff that he’ll be the lead running back for 2023, Akers decided to put on some weight as part of his offseason preparation, potentially to give himself another dimension as a back beyond just his speed.
“My weight. Just making sure my weight was where it needed to be,” Akers said when asked what he focus was this offseason. “And obviously, mentally, making sure I was where I needed to be. But those were two of the biggest things. Making sure I stay on top of my weight and being where I need to be mentally.”
Akers then went on to clarify that he was adding weight this offseason.
“Up. Up. Like, way up. Way up. Way up,” he said.
At the beginning of the 2022 season, Akers was listed at 5-foot-11-inches and 212 pounds. There have not been any indications as to what his 2023 weight is, but way up would mean he could be beginning the season in the 220-230 range, a major change for the primarily speedy running back.
If he can add an element of power into his ground game, the Rams offense may be able to return to a less complicated run game. A lack of a power back and a consistent offensive line forced L.A. to get creative in 2022 to gain yards on the ground.
If the Rams can begin powering up the middle for several yards at a time instead of just a couple, they will almost certainly open up their offense. Akers is taking that upon himself to bring that to L.A.’s offense.
Akers gives his stance on running back trouble around NFL
The Rams running back gave a nuanced take regarding all of the recent running back holdouts and the overall value of the position league-wide. He spoke about fairness while also knowing it’s on the players to prove their value.
“If you ask me, do I agree with what’s going on with running backs, no,” Akers said. “I do think we are of value in the league, but our hands are kind of tied at this point. Just got to keep playing football. Show and prove. … I don’t think it’s fair to a lot of people, but I don’t feel a certain type of way that I wasn’t (in the Zoom call). It’ll come when it comes. I agree with those guys. I don’t agree with what’s going on with running backs. I wasn’t in the group thing, but eventually I will be.”
