Special teams was not a strength for the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. Johnny Hekker had a down year, Greg Zuerlein was shaky for most of the year and the return game didn’t offer much in the way of helping set up the offense.
JoJo Natson was the primary return specialist, playing 12 games for the Rams this past season. He took back 19 punts and 13 kickoffs, averaging 7.8 yards per punt return and 22.2 yards per kick return.
He was tied for 15th in punt return average and 20th in total kick return yardage, but most encouragingly, he didn’t fumble the ball once. Will that progress be enough for the Rams to bring him back?
As a restricted free agent, the Rams can almost assure themselves that he’ll remain in L.A. next season. But that price will be more than $2 million for 2020 alone, if the Rams go that route. There are other options, of course.
- 2019 stats: 19 punt returns, 149 yards (7.8 average). 13 kick returns, 289 yards (22.2 average)
- PFF grade: N/A
Analysis
Natson wasn’t spectacular in 2019, nor was he close to the team’s biggest problem. He had a handful of great plays, returning one punt 35 yards and another 32 yards. He did make his share of mistakes, of course, but he never fumbled the ball.
His gaffes were more along the lines of letting punts go instead of fielding them, allowing the opponent to pin the Rams deep. Or taking kickoffs deep out of the end zone, failing to get back to the 25-yard line.
But Natson did provide a spark at times with his shiftiness and quickness. Though he didn’t contribute on offense, he showed potential in the preseason with five catches for 21 yards and a touchdown.
Positional need: Low
The Rams had one of the best return specialists in the NFL in 2017 when Pharoh Cooper was in L.A. They moved on from Cooper and handed Natson the keys, but the impact hasn’t been as great.
They’re not desperate for a punt and kick returner, but they don’t have many great options beyond Natson. Darrell Henderson could handle kickoffs and Cooper Kupp punts, but the Rams would rather protect those offensive players by keeping them out of harm’s way.
Prediction: Signs one-year, $720,000 deal with Rams
The Rams can easily apply an original-round tender to Natson and keep him for $2.14 million in 2020 – assuming he doesn’t sign an offer sheet with another team. That would be a steep price to pay for a player who almost exclusively plays special teams.
Instead, the Rams should sign him to a one-year deal worth far less than that, keeping as much cap space as they can while simultaneously retaining a capable player. I expect them to re-sign Natson, but not to an RFA tender. They need cap space, and they wouldn’t afford them much.