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Now that the latest round of roster cuts has passed on Tuesday, August 23, the Los Angeles Rams are more than one less a running back.
Raymond Calais and A.J. Rose were waived before the Tuesday 4 p.m. Eastern deadline — with the Super Bowl champs making the roster decision for both three days prior. The Rams also parted ways with Xavier Jones on July 29 during training camp.
Could this mean that there’s room to add one more in the Rams’ backfield? Especially given a brand new free agent name officially out on the open market as of Monday?
Kenyan Drake is officially a free agent after the Las Vegas Raiders released him, ending a one season stay with the Silver and Black. Drake has carved out his career as a versatile runner and receiving threat with three 1,000-yard campaigns via total yards from scrimmage according to Pro Football Reference.
One NFL analyst is a believer that Drake would be a fit inside the “Rams House.”
What Analyst Said About the Possible Fit
Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports is a believer that Drake is a good fit for several contending teams.
And that includes the defending Super Bowl champs. Here’s what DeArdo wrote:
“Los Angeles would be an ideal landing spot for Drake, who given his recent injury and previous workload would be a better complementary back than a featured one. Drake would be flanked in Los Angeles by Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson, two players who played a key role in the Rams’ recent championship run. Adding Drake would also give Kyren Williams more time to ease into the offense after the rookie from Notre Dame missed significant time this offseason after breaking his foot.”
Currently, the Rams have five options in the RB room. One of them happens to be a former Raiders teammate of Drake’s in Trey Regas — who was signed during the Rams’ late July camp sessions. Akers and Henderson, meanwhile, are currently dealing with what head coach Sean McVay described as “soft tissue injuries.”
But would Drake fit this scheme if he does get lured in?
What Drake is Seeking in an Offense
Drake spoke with CBS Sports NFL insider Josina Anderson on Monday afternoon, telling her that he saw the writing on the wall that the Raiders were going to part ways with him.
Now that he’s available, what type of scheme does Drake envision himself in?
“Personally, I feel like I can fit in any type of scheme,” Drake said to Anderson. “I proved to be a first and second-down back in Arizona; and through my entire career I’ve proved I can be versatile out the backfield catching passes, in special teams. I’m a professional, at the end of the day I love ball. I don’t think it really matters where, as long as they give me the opportunity to go in and compete. I got a lot of tread on my tires.”
At 28, Drake is heading toward the prime and twilight years of a running back. But should the Rams bring him in, it will likely mean parting ways with at least one RB, considering the Rams don’t carry as many as six backs for their final 53-man roster.
Drake looks appealing in a Rams uniform because of his catching ability (has caught between 22 to 53 passes each season since 2017). But this would likely have to be a Sony Michel-type situation for the Rams if Drake were to head to L.A. There would need to be a significant injury in the backfield for the Rams to orchestrate such a signing.
DeArdo also mentioned the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans as the other “ideal destinations” for Drake.
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