Los Angeles Rams rookie Cam Akers will be among those tasked with helping fill the void left by the departure of Todd Gurley in the backfield this offseason.
The Rams made headlines with their decision to part ways with Gurley in an effort to shore up some much-needed cap space. Fortunately, head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead had already taken precautions last year by re-signing running back Malcolm Brown and drafting running back Darrell Henderson.
They followed it up this year by using their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to select Akers as part of their committee. It appears he wasted no time in doing his due diligence on his new team.
Akers revealed that he got in touch with Gurley this offseason for some advice on the situation in Los Angeles, via ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry:
“Just trying to take in and soak in as much information as I can,” Akers said, adding that Gurley emphasized that Akers will need to, “Work hard. Work hard and pass protect.”
It is encouraging to see that Akers is seeking out all avenues of information to help with his transition to the NFL. There is no question that picking the brain of his predecessor should help pay huge dividends for him when it comes to establishing a role in the backfield.
Perhaps even more intriguing is Gurley’s willingness to take on a bit of a mentorship role for Akers even though he is no longer on the team. After all, it is no secret that his stint with the Rams did not end on the best of terms and the fallout was well-documented on social media. Regardless, he did not let this get in the way of helping out a fellow young player trying to get acclimated.
Gurley enjoyed plenty of success with the Rams after racking up three All-Pro bids and NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2017 as the former centerpiece of the offense. As a result, Akers and the rest of this group have some rather big shoes to fill heading into the 2020 NFL season.
McVay and Snead have indicated that they will likely go with a backfield-by-committee approach to fill the void left by Gurley. The unprecedented offseason due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has made it even more difficult for rookies like Akers to get caught up to speed with their new playbooks
It will be interesting to see how long it takes Akers to etch out an integral role for himself this season.
