Getty Sean McVay during the Rams' November 5, 2023 in Green Bay.
The 3-6 Los Angeles Rams are teetering towards making personnel changes.
Time will tell what changes the Rams arrange during their slow start. However, head coach Sean McVay blurted out one name who could finally see some action.
Who is Sean McVay Intrigued to See When Called Upon?
Rookie running back Zach Evans got mentioned as one who could see an elevation.
Evans got mentioned by McVay on “The Coach McVay Show” that aired Monday, November 6. The head coach’s words point to the rookie finally getting his chance to witness some Sunday action.
“Zach Evans is another guy that I’m intrigued to see if he gets an opportunity to get some carries towards the second half of the season,” McVay said to J.B. Long and D’Marco Farr.
Evans, per McVay, has put together stellar outings next to Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks.
“He’s gotten better and better at practice,” McVay said.
This doesn’t officially solidify that Evans will be an active roster addition. But Evans is working his way up, McVay says.
“We’ll see if he gets an opportunity to get out there,” McVay said.
Zach Evans Was Given Strong Report Before NFL Journey
Evans earned a strong label before taking his first NFL handoff.
Draft expert Lance Zierlein of nfl.com predicted that the Ole Miss Rebels star “will eventually be an average starter” in the league. Zierlein beamed about Evans’ breakout running ability in his pre-draft evaluation.
“Evans’ career average of 6.9 yards per carry demonstrates his home run ability,” Zierlein wrote first.
But why did he fall all the way down to the sixth round?
“Nagging injuries have limited him in the last two seasons. Teams will need to examine his injury history and determine whether it’s a concern for them or no,” Zierlein added.
Still, Evans came equipped with the frame teams clamor out of a running back. But size wasn’t his only winnable trait.
Evans exploded with a burst that demonstrated the field stretching ability Zierlein described. The TCU transfer then combined his speed with power on defenders in physically blowing past them. He showed enough game breaking ability to cement his draft status.
State of the Rams’ RB Room Indicates Help is Needed
It’s evident that a new spark is needed in the backfield given the current state of the Rams’ running game.
The Rams sit at No. 17 overall in rushing yards. They’ve netted only 944 rushing yards and are averaging below 105 yards per game. But one reason for the low ranking is health in the backfield.
Kyren Williams has been out with an ankle sprain. Their second option Ronnie Rivers has been dealing with a PCL injury. Outside of both men, Darrell Henderson Jr. was lured back via free agency to fill depth. The only other options after “Hendo” is newcomers Royce Freeman and Myles Gaskin.
The ground attack then sustained new lows against the Green Bay Packers in Week 9 after the 20-3 defeat. Freeman led the way with only 32 yards. Henderson tacked on just 19 yards. The Rams, in total, racked up just 68 rushing yards and averaged 2.6 yards per carry.
The Rams have failed to reach past 100 rushing yards in six of nine games this season. The Philadelphia Eagles bottled them to their lowest output on October 8 — which was a 54-yard day for L.A.
Now in their bye week, the Rams have a chance to make some evaluations. They have an opportunity to give players who haven’t been thrown out there yet a chance before they take on the Seattle Seahawks on November 19. Evans is emerging as one.