Lack of depth at running back was one of the major concerns on the Los Angeles Rams roster going into the offseason. Les Snead, general manager, decided to address the position in the NFL Draft rather than signing a veteran to partner with Kyren Williams in 2024. The news that Williams is anticipated to miss the remainder of OTAs due to a foot issue only served to highlight Snead’s apparent lack of urgency.

No matter how serious the injury is, the Rams’ running back position could not be worse-prepared. While it was a wise decision to select Blake Corum in the third round, it may have been too little, too late. In addition to Corum, competition for roster places is being led by rotational backs Ronnie Rivers and Zach Evans, as well as veteran rusher Boston Scott. If Williams is hurt once more, none of those three should give rise to much optimism.
Given their depth at RB, the front office in no way believed they were safe after the previous season. It should have been much easier to predict an injury to one of the team’s primary playmakers given Kyren’s physical playing style and the physical nature of the position overall.

Williams’ NFL career began with consecutive years on the injured reserve. Until he proves otherwise, his availability will always be a cause for concern.
It’s not as though I advocated for the Rams to make a significant investment on a top-tier free agency running back. Furthermore, I wasn’t advocating for LA to add a significant veteran as Williams’ “replacement.” All I asked was for additional depth to be added by the front office in the unlikely event that Kyren went down. Furthermore, regardless of Corum’s potential, the squad is placing too much pressure on the rookie back by counting on him to handle the weight. Sadly, Williams’s missing time is turning into a yearly ritual.

Kyren Williams is still the team’s best option at running back, let’s not fool ourselves. It is unrealistic to expect him to participate for the entire season, though, considering the persistent ailments he appears to get. There aren’t many free agency choices available right now, and Snead may want a second chance after his slack attitude at RB this offseason.