The Los Angeles Rams have to like where they are so far during the 2019 NFL Season as they have started 2-0 after wins against the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints.
There was plenty of talk in the offseason about whether or not the Rams’ Super Bowl loss would impact their on-field success, but so far that has not been the case.
In both their victories, Malcolm Brown has rotated in for Todd Gurley in an effort to preserve the superstar running back. With Brown acting as the primary backup, rookie Darrell Henderson has yet to make an impact despite all of the speculation that he would have a role in the offense after being drafted in the third round out of Memphis.
According to Greg Beachem of The Associated Press, Rams offensive line coach and run game coordinator Aaron Kromer believes that Henderson’s time will come as the season moves along:
Rams run game coordinator Aaron Kromer admits it's tough to find enough carries to keep all 3 of his running backs busy. Rookie Darrell Henderson gets the short end of the stick for now, but "the more the season goes on, I'm sure he's going to play."
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) September 18, 2019
Drafted with the 70th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Henderson is an explosive, change-of-pace back who is able to break off long runs with his speed and agility. The Rams moved up in the draft to select him, which many took as a sign that Gurley’s knee issues were more serious than the team had let on.
With all the hype surrounding Henderson, it is a little shocking to see how little he has been used so far to start the year. Besides his ability to quickly burst through gaps in the defense, he is also a capable receiving threat out of the backfield and would make life difficult for opposing players to track on the field.
However, as Kromer mentioned, head coach Sean McVay is sure to have plans to use his rookie running back toward the middle of the season in order to save some of the wear and tear from Gurley and Brown.
Perhaps it is only a matter of time before Rams fans see why the team made it a priority to grab another running back relatively early in the draft.
