Tag: Blake Corum

Blake Corum’s receiving skills at Michigan pro day caught Rams’ eye

During the draft, Les Snead and Sean McVay re-watched Blake Corum’s pro day and were impressed by his receiving ability

Blake Corum was known for being a workhorse running back at Michigan. He carried the ball 505 times for 2,708 yards and 45 touchdowns in the last two seasons alone, which is an average of 18.7 carries per game.

He did catch some passes for the Wolverines but his game was taking handoffs and scoring touchdowns. That could change with the Rams where he’s expected to be a more well-rounded back who gets opportunities to contribute as a receiver on third down. He said it himself in a recent interview and the Rams were very interested in his receiving skills pre-draft.

In a new draft documentary from Roku and NFL Films, Les Snead and Sean McVay talked about Corum’s receiving skills before selecting him with the 83rd pick.

“I can say this, at Corum’s pro day, he made some rare catches,” Snead said.

“Let’s watch it,” McVay said. “Actually, that’s all for nothing, right? I mean, he’s not going to be there at 83, is he?”

“You should watch it,” Snead insisted.

After flipping the tape from Corum’s pro day on, McVay liked what he saw.

“He’s definitely a right hand-over-left hand more comfortable. I want to see him catch that same pass to his left,” McVay said.

Snead: “Oh, the choice (route)!”

McVay: “That’s good. He looks way more functional than I thought.”

Might the Rams see Corum as a third-down back who will spell Kyren Williams in passing situations? That would allow him to get on the field early as a rookie, while also not necessarily taking carries away from the 2023 Pro Bowler.

It’ll be fun to see how McVay deploys these two backs this season.

Rams NFL Draft grades: Blake Corum, RB, Michigan 83rd overall

Rams NFL Draft grade for selecting Michigan RB Blake Corum in the third round

The Los Angeles Rams got a ton out of last years breakout star in running back Kyren Williams and they looked to have found a perfect compliment for him with the selection of Michigan running back Blake Corum in the middle of the third round.

Corum projects as the immediate backup to Williams and will serve as a complimentary back to rotate in and spell the young star from time to time. Given Williams missed time last season this also provides a safety net for a Rams team that lacked in the running game when their starter went down.

An intelligent, decisive, and agile back, Corum was an ultra productive player at Michigan whos skillset should transfer over to the next level. While his size and the tread on his tires were a bit of a concern, coming in as a complimentary back eases up on those questions and should allow Corum to be productive in a lesser role.

Grade: B

Blake Corum ‘really stood out’ to Sean McVay during OTAs

Sean McVay says Blake Corum “really stood out” during OTAs, particularly for his maturity and mental toughness

Sean McVay’s offense is not an easy one to learn, given all of the pre-snap motion, audibles and route combinations the Rams use. It’s a bit easier for a running back compared to a receiver or quarterback, but it’s still difficult.

Blake Corum is doing everything he can to get up to speed as quickly as possible, hoping to carve out a role for himself as a rookie behind Kyren Williams. He’s only a month and a half into his Rams tenure but he’s picking things up like a pro.

McVay said in an OTA recap video this week that he’s been particularly impressed with Corum.

“On the offensive side, I’ve been pleased with a lot of guys but Blake Corum has really stood out,” McVay said. “Mature beyond his years. I love the way that he handles himself. I love even more how when there’s been a couple of things that didn’t go the way we wanted, how he responded the next play. The mental toughness that you see from him. Ron Gould is excellent with that room. Even Kyren in his own way has done such a great job of imparting a certain amount of wisdom with him.”

Williams is still expected to be the starter in the backfield but Corum is going to get his opportunities, too. He said himself that he’ll “definitely” be catching the ball out of the backfield, indicating he could be in for a third-down role as a blocker and receiver in obvious passing situations.

Corum will have an even better chance to prove himself in training camp when the pads come on and the physicality ramps up, but it’s good to hear he’s already making a positive impression on his new team.

‘It blows my mind’: Blake Corum already amazed by Matthew Stafford’s talent

Blake Corum has only been with the Rams for a month and a half, but he’s already been blown away by Matthew Stafford in practice

Matthew Stafford doesn’t always get talked about as one of the four or five best quarterbacks in the league, but from a pure talent perspective, there aren’t many better than him in the NFL right now. Blake Corum has already gotten a taste of Stafford’s ability in a few short weeks of OTAs.

Corum was recently on the “Rich Eisen Show” and he was almost speechless when talking about how good Stafford is.

“I haven’t sat down with Stafford and picked his brain, but let me just tell you this: His ball placement, his IQ – phenomenal quarterback,” Corum said. “It’s crazy how he puts the ball where no one else can get it. It’s absolutely ridiculous. He’s great, man.”

Eisen asked Corum what specifically is so impressive about Stafford and he immediately mentioned his no-look passes.

“The way he can look this way but throw the ball this way, it blows my mind,” Corum said. “But that’s why he’s been in the league so long and been great at what he does for so long. It’s exciting being in the backfield with Matthew Stafford.”

Stafford has just about perfected the no-look pass, using it to his advantage often during a season. It’s not just a flashy way to get himself on a highlight reel. It’s actually a useful type of throw that helps him manipulate a defender into going one way before throwing it in the other direction.

Corum better get used to them because Stafford uses no-look passes on check downs and screens fairly frequently, keeping linebackers in the middle of the field before tossing it to his running back in the flat.

It’s hard not to be impressed by No. 9, even in Year 16 as an NFL quarterback.

Blake Corum expects Rams to use him differently than Michigan did

Blake Corum talked about what he expects his role to be with the Rams, and that will definitely include catching the ball

Blake Corum was a little bit of a surprising pick by the Los Angeles Rams in Round 3 considering they already have Kyren Williams at running back, but they want to be a ground-and-pound offense with their bulked-up offensive line leading the way. Corum was by far the most productive back in the 2024 draft after rushing for 3,737 yards and scoring 61 total touchdowns in his career at Michigan, and he’ll now join an offense that’s been kind to running backs throughout Sean McVay’s tenure.

For the Wolverines, Corum was primarily a runner, only catching 56 passes in his career. However, he expects things to be a bit different with the Rams. Speaking to Rich Eisen, Corum shed some light on what he thinks his role will be in Los Angeles and he plans to be a true three-down back who can do it all.

“I think they’re just going to use me a little differently than Michigan did,” he said. “I was more so a bell cow for Michigan where I was running the ball 20-plus times a game. didn’t really catch the ball much. But obviously, you see how they use Kyren, who’s a great running back. So I think they’re going to use me like a regular three-down running back – a guy that can catch, pass pro and run the ball. Something Coach Ron (Gould) tells us is ‘No block, no rock.’ So we take blocking here seriously. They want a guy that can do it all and I can do that for them.”

One trait he’s eager to show off in the NFL is his ability to catch the ball. Though he wasn’t much of a receiving back in college, he’s confident he can handle third-down duties as a receiver in Los Angeles.

He left no doubt about whether he’ll get opportunities to haul in passes next season, saying he “definitely will be catching the ball.”

“I think whatever they ask me to do, I’m capable of doing,” he continued. “Going into the draft, something I wanted to prove to scouts and coaches that were watching was I’m a three-down back. I can catch the ball. Even though I didn’t really catch the ball at Michigan besides the Rose Bowl. But I caught the ball my sophomore year. I wanted to show them I could do that. I think the coaches saw that. I definitely will be catching the ball. I think they’re going to use me as a three-down back, someone who can do it all. For me, I’m just going to do whatever they ask me to do because I know I’m capable of doing everything.”

With Williams and Corum in the backfield, the Rams are situated nicely to be one of the best rushing offenses in the league. They’re very similar players, something McVay has mentioned since the draft, which will allow the coach to interchangeably use his running backs no matter the situation.

New draft video reveals Rams landed 4 of the top 50 players on their 2024 big board

A new behind-the-scenes video from the Rams’ war room revealed that they landed 4 of the top 50 players on their big board

Every team goes into the NFL draft with a different arrangement of prospects on the big board. One team might have a player ranked 30th, whereas another has him further down the board at No. 60.

We’ll never find out exactly how the Los Angeles Rams laid out their big board for the 2024 draft but a new behind-the-scenes video from the war room does tell us something very interesting. During the latest episode of “Behind The Grind,” director of scouting strategy James Gladstone told Les Snead and Sean McVay that the Rams landed four of the top 50 players on their board by drafting Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Blake Corum and Kamren Kinchens in the first three rounds.

“Verse, Kinchens, Fiske and then we got Corum, you’d be walking away with four players in the top 50 of our overall (inaudible),” Gladstone said.

Snead was understandably thrilled about the Rams’ first four picks in the draft, coming away with four players the team feels can have an immediate impact in 2024.

“This is going to be good, though. I’m actually jacked,” Snead said.

McVay felt the same way when the Rams were set to pick Kinchens at No. 99 overall.

“If you told me that at 99, we’d be able to pull off the (expletive) safety, I’d say no (expletive) way,” McVay said.

Verse and Fiske were obviously in their top 50, going 19th and 39th overall, respectively. The Rams moved up from No. 52 to 39 in order to select Fiske because they feared he wouldn’t be there at their original slot.

Corum was drafted 83rd overall and the Rams got Kinchens at No. 99, so based on their board, which had both in the top 50, those were certified steals. No wonder the front office and coaching staff are elated about the 2024 class they came away with.

Watch: Rams rookies try their hand at LA trivia with mixed results

The Rams quizzed their rookies on Los Angeles facts and the results were, well, mixed.

The 2024 NFL draft was just over a month ago so the Los Angeles Rams’ rookies are still getting to know their new city. With rookie minicamp taking place from May 10-11, the team’s first-year players haven’t been in L.A. very long.

With playbooks to study and schemes to learn, they’ve had their plates full, so it’s understandable that they might not be all that familiar with Los Angeles’ history and landmarks.

Keep that in mind when watching this video where the Rams’ rookies answer trivia questions about L.A., from naming celebrities to remembering the numeral of the team’s most recent Super Bowl win.

Everyone from Jared Verse and Braden Fiske to Blake Corum and Brennan Jackson participated – all with varying results. Verse was given a softball when he was asked to name Kobe Bryant from a photo, while Fiske struggled with a question about Michelin stars.

“I thought Michelin star was, like, a breakfast spot,” he innocently quipped.

2024 Fantasy Football Strength of Schedule: Running Backs

How will the strength of fantasy schedule impact RBs in 2024?

Schedule strength for running backs considers both rushing and receiving yards as today’s players rarely rely on just running production anymore. The analysis also considers the venue. There is a difference between how defenses respond either home or away, which creates 64 “different defensive matchups” depending on where the game is played.

Also see: Quarterbacks |Receivers

The scoring was a point for every 10 yards rushing or receiving, six-point touchdowns, and a point per reception. The average fantasy points allowed to running backs are at the bottom of this page for reference. Running backs prove to be most sensitive to schedule strength of any position.

Total Points

Below are the total points for each backfield according to their schedule using the averages allowed in 2023 by those defenses.

PHI LAR WAS SEA LAC DEN TEN MIA NE MIN TB
368 363 360 360 360 360 353 353 351 350 350
NO CLE BAL NYJ PIT CHI NYG JAC HOU CAR
349 349 348 347 346 345 345 344 342 342
KC BUF DET LV CIN GB ATL IND ARI DAL SF
341 340 339 337 336 335 333 332 328 327 325

 

 

 

Weekly Play

Three different views are below. Week 1 to 17 is the full-season fantasy strength of schedule. “The Dorey Rule” says to draft by considering the first six weeks for a hot start. Finally, Weeks 15 to 17 represent the most common fantasy playoff weeks. “Good” games against a Top-22 venue from last year; “Bad” was when they played in one of the Bottom-22.

Week 1-17 SOS Good Bad First 6 SOS Good Bad Playoffs SOS Good Bad
TEN 4 7 3 CLE 3 3 0 PHI 3 3 0
LAR 3 6 3 NYG 3 4 1 MIN 3 3 0
WAS 2 6 4 SEA 3 4 1 ATL 2 2 0
JAC 2 5 3 TEN 2 3 1 JAC 2 2 0
CLE 2 6 4 CHI 2 3 1 TEN 2 2 0
CHI 2 7 5 HOU 2 3 1 DEN 1 2 1
DEN 1 5 4 MIA 2 3 1 IND 1 1 0
LAC 1 7 6 LV 1 2 1 LAC 1 2 1
NYG 1 7 6 PIT 1 2 1 NE 1 1 0
HOU 1 6 5 LAR 1 2 1 SEA 1 1 0
MIA 1 6 5 JAC 0 1 1 TB 1 2 1
SEA 1 6 5 CAR 0 1 1 GB 1 1 0
PIT 0 5 5 MIN 0 1 1 KC 1 1 0
NE 0 5 5 TB 0 2 2 NO 1 2 1
PHI 0 6 6 DEN 0 2 2 CAR 0 1 1
CAR 0 4 4 KC 0 2 2 HOU 0 1 1
MIN 0 5 5 LAC 0 2 2 CHI 0 1 1
BAL 0 6 6 NE 0 2 2 CIN 0 1 1
BUF 0 5 5 SF 0 2 2 NYG -1 1 2
NYJ 0 6 6 WAS 0 2 2 PIT -1 0 1
DET 0 6 6 BUF -1 0 1 BAL -1 0 1
TB -1 5 6 BAL -1 2 3 BUF -1 1 2
ATL -1 4 5 GB -1 1 2 LAR -1 0 1
IND -1 4 5 DET -1 2 3 LV -1 0 1
GB -1 3 4 CIN -2 1 3 MIA -1 0 1
NO -2 5 7 NO -2 1 3 NYJ -1 0 1
KC -2 4 6 DAL -2 1 3 WAS -1 0 1
CIN -3 4 7 IND -2 1 3 CLE -1 1 2
DAL -3 4 7 PHI -3 0 3 DAL -2 0 2
ARI -3 5 8 ARI -3 1 4 DET -2 0 2
SF -3 5 8 NYJ -3 1 4 ARI -3 0 3
LV -4 3 7 ATL -4 0 4 SF -3 0 3

 

Best schedule strength

Tyjae Spears/Tony Pollard (TEN) – The schedule is less important than installing an entirely different offensive scheme, but it is a factor. Especially when the Titans own the most advantageous set of opponents in the NFL based from last year’s stats, the O-line is still a work in progress, and the passing effort should be more productive than it has for many years. There should be fewer carries than in recent seasons, but either Tyjae Spears or Tony Pollard could surprise – if they can earn the bigger share in this committee approach post-Derrick Henry.

Kyren Williams/Blake Corum (LAR) – Kyren Williams took over in his second season and starting in Week 12, was as good as any fantasy running back in 2023. Now, he enjoys one of the best schedules with just three bad venues and a solid six best venues. It should propel Williams to being an elite back again this year, but the addition of  Blake Corum potentially muddies the waters with a committee approach of some measure. But Williams’ injury history could mean Corum gets at least a few games to himself.

Austin Ekeler/Brian Robinson Jr. (WAS) – This is another situation where the offense will be all new, and the O-line is a concern. There will also be a committee involving Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson. However, the Commanders benefit from one of the lighter slates of opponents, and the backfield should profit with four of the final five fantasy games being at home. A Week 14 bye won’t help teams in large contests for their playoffs.

Travis Etienne (JAC) – The schedule is better than most, but not hugely advantageous. Facing two good venues and no bad ones during fantasy playoffs is a plus for the player who ended as the No. 3 fantasy running back last year on a team that did not bother to get any new help for the backfield.

Worst schedule strength

Zamir White/Alexander Mattison (LV) – The Raiders are installing a new offense with OC Luke Getsy from Chicago, and they lost Josh Jacobs. The addition of Alexander Mattison to the backfield isn’t encouraging and Zamir White enters his third season with a spotty resume. Throw in an NFL-worst schedule for fantasy backs and the attraction is even less. Starting in Week 6, the Raiders face seven bad venues and only one light matchup.

Christian McCaffrey (SF) – Certainly, if any back is better than his schedule, it would be Christian McCaffrey. There’s no denying how productive he is when healthy and helped many fantasy teams reach their playoffs. The 49ers get three bad venues for the fantasy playoff weeks, but McCaffrey tends to just turn into a receiver when needed.

James Conner/Trey Benson (ARI) – Conner comes off his career-best season, but he turns 30 next year, and the Cardinals snapped up the second overall running back in the NFL draft when they picked Trey Benson. It will be a committee that will most likely evolve as the season progresses and Conner always misses three or four games. Their schedule works against them with an NFL-worst eight games played at toughest venues. And it works out poorly when they start out with almost nothing but bad matchups for the first half of the season, then brighten up with four of the next five games against easier opponents. And then, back to facing three tough defenses to end their fantasy year.

Ezekiel Elliott/Rico Dowdle (DAL) – The largest concern is the quality of rushers – an aging Ezekiel Elliott is back and paired with Rico Dowdle. There’s a chance that the Cowboys will find someone, anyone, after the final cutdown, but they only get four games in easier venues and seven with the tougher opponents.

Zack Moss (CIN) – The Bengals let Joe Mixon leave for the Texans and replaced him with Zack Moss, who has never been better than the No. 31 fantasy back. Chase Brown will figure in and the backfield looks less appealing for 2024 when the schedule works against them. Their final five games after the Week 12 bye include three tough matchups and just one softer opponent in Week 17.

2024 weekly grid  

Fantasy points allowed per game 

These are the values from 2023 that were applied to this year’s schedule to determine strength of schedule for running backs.

DEN @ARI CAR LVR WAS @SEA IND NYJ MIA SEA @WAS NYG CIN GB @IND CHI
33.9 31.9 31.2 28.3 27.8 27.6 27.4 26.9 25.4 25.3 25.0 24.9 24.8 24.7 24.6 24.4
DAL @PIT TEN @NE @LAC @CHI ARI @JAC @BUF @NYJ @BAL LAC CLE HOU JAC @NYG
24.3 24.0 24.0 23.9 23.8 23.7 23.6 23.3 23.2 22.9 22.5 22.5 21.8 21.7 21.5 21.1
@KC SF @DEN MIN PHI @LVR @NO @PHI @HOU @MIN NO BUF @ATL PIT ATL @CAR
21.0 20.8 20.7 20.2 20.1 19.7 19.6 19.5 19.4 19.2 19.2 19.0 18.9 18.6 18.4 18.4
@LAR TB @GB @CLE @CIN KC BAL @TB @SF DET @DET NE LAR @TEN @DAL @MIA
18.3 18.3 18.2 18.0 18.0 17.6 17.4 16.8 16.2 15.9 15.6 15.4 15.0 14.1 13.6 13.5

 

New Orleans Saints game previews: Week 13 vs. Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints game previews: Week 13 brings a chance for payback against the Los Angeles Rams

December starts with the New Orleans Saints exiting their bye week for a home game against the Los Angeles Rams — an excellent shot at some payback after the Rams effectively ended the Saints’ season last year. But does Dennis Allen’s team have it in them to rise to the occasion?

It’s a question worth asking. The Saints have not beaten many teams over .500 in recent years, and the Rams figure to be in the middle of the NFC playoff picture by Week 13. They’ll present just as daunting a test as the one the Saints failed late last season, with or without Aaron Donald in the middle of their defense.

The Rams have had a busy offseason of their own. They signed free agents like cornerback Tre’Davious White, safety Kamren Curl, and offensive guard Jonah Jackson without suffering many losses. Besides, you know, Donald’s retirement. And who’s to say he may not choose to return in December for another Super Bowl run?

L.A. spent the 2024 draft beefing up their defense, drafting Florida State defensive linemen Jared Verse and Braden Fiske in the first two rounds before picking Michigan running back Blake Corum in Round 3. He’ll be joining a backfield that ran for 133 yards on New Orleans last year, so Allen’s defense must be better prepared to stop the run.

This is the kind of matchup the Saints should expect if they hope to reach the playoffs. Winning the NFC South is paramount, but it’s also important to prove they can hang with rivals around the conference, and who might be paying them a visit in the wild-card round. Expect this game to be another insightful matchup for the Saints, but let’s hope to learn something positive this time. The Rams own a commanding 44-35 lead over the Saints in their series history, but New Orleans sent them out with a loss the last time they visited the Caesers Superdome in 2022.

  • Game information: New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Rams
  • Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, La.
  • Date: Dec. 1
  • Time: 3:05 p.m. CT / 4:05 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: FOX

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Look: Blake Corum tried to paint the Rams’ logo and the result is hilarious

Blake Corum gave a valiant attempt to paint the Rams’ logo, even if it looks nothing like the Rams’ logo

Blake Corum is a man of many talents, which Los Angeles Rams fans will find out rather quickly during his rookie season. He’s a shifty runner, a dynamic receiver and an admirable person in the community.

He’s also not bad with a paintbrush in his hands.

The NFL tasked rookies with painting their team’s logo from memory, and Corum gave his best shot at painting the Rams’ mark. Only, his painting looks nothing like the team’s logo and more like a majestic ram grazing the fields on a sunny day.

As a reminder, this is what the Rams’ logo looks like now.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

There’s also this one.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Corum’s work of art may not look like either of the Rams’ logos, but as he said, “not bad.”