It’s been two quiet weeks for Rams rookie Blake Corum. He was viewed as Kyren Williams’ backup all offseason, but it’s clear he’s No. 3 in the pecking order at running back.
He didn’t play a single offensive snap in the opener against the Lions and on Sunday in Arizona, his only eight plays came on the final drive when the Rams were just trying to end the game.
Corum rushed for 28 yards on his eight carries against the Cardinals and also had a 41-yard return on the opening kickoff, showing some of the juice that made him a third-round pick in April. It’s surprising that he hasn’t gotten more opportunities at running back but that could change in the near future.
Sean McVay said on the “Coach McVay Show” Monday that he wants to get Corum “going a little bit more” after seeing him in action on Sunday.
“Thought he did a great job on the kick return. You felt him, that was a good, positive spark for our team,” McVay said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to capitalize on that momentum. And then I thought he did some good things. He showed some of the twitch and good feel. Obviously, slipped on the one that he was trying to cut back on, but I thought there were some overall positives and we’ve got to get him going a little bit more.”
McVay has said this type of thing often about players, including Tutu Atwell, and the results haven’t always matched his coachspeak-y desires to get a player involved. But it’s not as if Williams has been lighting it up in the first two games, so there could be room for Corum or Ronnie Rivers to eat into his carries.
Through two weeks, Williams has just 75 yards on 30 carries. His 30 rushes are the most of any player in the NFL without a single carry of at least 10 yards, so the explosiveness hasn’t been there. It’s not all his fault because the offensive line has been a mess, but Williams has to be better. If not, Corum could get a longer look from the coaching staff.