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In the morning after the 2022 NFL trade deadline, there’s confusion regarding the topic of Cam Akers.
That confusion comes from an NFL analyst on Wednesday, November 2 who is perplexed with how the Los Angeles Rams running back Akers was never traded…calling the situation “wild to me.”
Rams Were Given Multiple Offers, Insider Reports
The 2020 second rounder, once lauded for miraculously returning to the Rams in the postseason following his devastating Achilles tear during a workout before training camp, disappeared from the Rams’ facility leading up to the Week 6 Carolina Panthers game over what was called personal issues. Then, Akers’ name became a trade topic.
But the deadline came and went…and Akers remains a Ram. Although per CBS Sports NFL insider Josina Anderson on Tuesday, November 1 she was told “Akers is hoping for a fair resolution for his future beyond the Rams, as he feels suiting up for them again this season isn’t in the best interest for his NFL path — though the relationship is still amicable, per source.”
That’s one question answered — if Akers has a future with the Rams. But the next question became if there was truly any offers made to the Rams to acquire Akers. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network helped clear that up on Wednesday, November 2.
“The Rams turned down multiple offers for RB Cam Akers before Tuesday’s trade deadline and now are working with Akers’ agent in hopes he’ll play for them again this season, per sources,” Pelissero tweeted. “Akers has been inactive the past two games for what the team called personal reasons.”
Teams who extended an offer for Akers weren’t known. The Rams are currently working with a four-person running back crew of Darrell Henderson, Ronnie Rivers, Malcolm Brown and expected to make his league debut soon Kyren Williams. Akers, though, could still end up giving the Rams a needed fifth option if the franchise, Akers’ agent and Akers manage to mend a fence.
But again, the fact that Akers was never dealt away left ESPN analytics expert Seth Walder in a confused state.
‘Wild to Me’
Walder, who handles sports analytics for ESPN, responded to Pelissero’s report that the Rams turned down different offers involving Akers.
“It’s wild to me that they would turn down any offer for Akers,” Walder first stated.
He then went the analytics route to state his case as to why Akers would’ve been a suitable impact trade for a running back needy team by bringing up Akers’ Rush Yards Over Expectation by season, including playoffs, via Next Gen Stats below:
Walder implies that Akers is still effective when it comes to gaining more yards than originally expected — a model Next Gen Stats introduced in 2020 as “the difference between actual rushing yards and expected rushing yards on an individual play or series of plays” plus “the percentage of runs where a ball-carrier gained more yards than expected.” A past run like this one from the 2020 season can help best exemplify the model Walder is referring to — as a simple handoff on first down brings three Washington defenders close to Akers, only to explode through the hole, break three tackles and take the ball from the Rams’ 20 to inside Washington’s 35-yard line.
The Week 3 Arizona Cardinals game is another example, as Akers blew through three Cardinal defenders into the end zone on what was a second and four situation for L.A.
Akers, however, played in a 2022 Rams offense that has struggled throughout the season getting anything off the ground. The Rams are yet to produce a 100-yard running back through seven games and have the league’s fewest rushing yards at 479. They’ve also produced just one 20-yard gain off a handoff this season — which belongs to wide receiver Cooper Kupp on a designed jet sweep.
The Rams officially return to practice on Wednesday, November 2. Whether Akers officially returns or not this week remains to be seen.
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