John Wolford is currently slated to back up Jared Goff at quarterback, but if the Rams need an emergency option, Cam Akers is the man for the job. A former high school quarterback, Akers, showed off his arm numerous times at Florida State on trick plays.
Sean McVay has already hinted at wildcat packages for Akers twice this offseason, and the rookie running back is prepared if his number ever gets called to throw a pass. McVay joked that Akers and Cooper Kupp will battle for the emergency QB spot, to which Akers said, “if he ever wants to use me for it, I’m ready.”
Akers only played quarterback in high school, not college, but his experience as the signal caller definitely helps him as a running back. The game has slowed down for him as a result of it, allowing him to see the field better – and specifically, holes developing on the offensive line.
“Definitely. Definitely you can say that,” he told reporters Tuesday. “Playing quarterback, you have to slow the game down. I think this transition to running back slowed down the game for me.”
Akers thrived at running back for the Seminoles, carrying what was an underwhelming offense for three seasons. He rushed for 2,875 yards and 27 touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry in his career.
He never considered playing quarterback in college because of his height (5-foot-10), but there were three schools that recruited him at the position.
“I always felt like I was too short to play quarterback. I never wanted to play quarterback at the next level – after high school, I never wanted to play quarterback. But I did get recruited by like three schools,” he said. “My biggest one was Auburn.”
The Rams have high expectations for Akers after selecting him 52nd overall in the draft this year, and he’ll get the chance to prove his coaches and the front office right. First, he’ll have to beat out Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown, the latter of whom he said he’s learned a lot from.
Initially in camp, Akers appeared to be behind both players on the depth chart as Henderson and Brown took first-team reps in the brief snippets shown by “Hard Knocks.” But by season’s end, don’t be surprised if Akers is RB1 in Los Angeles.
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