Cam Akers doesn’t seem to have much time left as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. He was a healthy scratch in Week 2 and Sean McVay was non-committal on his future with the team, saying “we’ll see what happens” in the coming days.
Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the Rams have already had trade talks with teams surrounding Akers, so a move seems inevitable. If the Rams are able to find a trade partner, these seven teams would make some sense for the fourth-year running back.
Buy Rams TicketsIf not, he could be cut outright and hit the waiver wire.
1
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens lost J.K. Dobbins for the year due to a torn Achilles, leaving Gus Edwards and Justice Hill as the top two backs. That’s a perfectly fine tandem, but if they want to add to their depth, Akers would make some sense for Baltimore.
With how much the Ravens run the ball, they’ll need a deep rotation of backs because as we saw already with Dobbins, injuries happen.
2
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are in limbo with Jonathan Taylor, who’s out for the next two weeks while on the PUP list. After that, it’s unclear if he’ll continue holding out or return to the team as the starter. If the Colts plan to trade Taylor, acquiring Akers first would be a way to make things a bit easier.
Akers isn’t close to the player that Taylor is, but he might be an upgrade over Zach Moss and Deon Jackson.
3
New York Giants
Saquon Barkley injured his ankle late in Sunday’s win over the Cardinals and could miss a few weeks. No one is saying Akers would start over Barkley, but he would be a better backup than Matt Breida in the meantime. Like the Ravens, the Giants don’t have a ton of cap space, but it’s enough to acquire Akers’ contract.
4
Detroit Lions
David Montgomery was carted off with a thigh injury in Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks and told reporters it’ll take “a couple weeks” for the issue to heal. The Lions invested a first-rounder in Jahmyr Gibbs and they also have Craig Reynolds, but Akers can help fill the void of Montgomery for the time being.
He may not be the most efficient back but Akers does run hard and has some value in short-yardage situations where the Lions might take Gibbs off the field.
5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rachaad White had 103 total yards and a touchdown on Sunday in the Bucs’ win over the Bears but he’s been pretty inefficient as a runner since coming into the NFL last season with an average of 3.6 yards per carry.
Akers isn’t much of an upgrade, but at least this move would allow Akers to return to his home state of Florida, which could be the change of scenery he needs.
6
Chicago Bears
The Bears’ leading running back, Khalil Herbert, has just 62 yards rushing on 16 attempts, tied for the team-high with Justin Fields. Rookie Roschon Johnson has 52 yards on nine carries with a long of 29 yards, but it’s not exactly the strongest backfield, especially with D’Onta Foreman being a surprise inactive.
The Bears might be looking for some help at running back to pair with Fields, knowing Foreman probably isn’t the answer.
7
Carolina Panthers
Thomas Brown was Akers’ running backs coach in L.A. and he’s now the Panthers’ offensive coordinator, so that could lead Carolina to consider making a deal. They do have Miles Sanders but depth is important at the running back spot and the Panthers only have three running backs on their active roster. Perhaps Akers could solidify that position a little bit.
