WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – While viewers may have been surprised to see Rams second-year running back Blake Corum getting snaps in a preseason game, it was by design, according to head coach Sean McVay.
Typically, players like Corum – listed as RB2 on the team's unofficial depth chart – do not see any action in the preseason outside of joint practices. But Los Angeles felt it was important to evaluate all of their running backs behind Kyren Williams in a live game setting, so they gave Corum and rookie Jarquez Hunter (RB3 on the unofficial depth chart) 10 touches each in Saturday's preseason opener against the Cowboys.
"I think it was more along the lines of because (running back) Kyren (Williams)'s obviously gotten that experience and feel good about the depth but mostly wanted to just get him some live action," McVay said. "We had in mind that we wanted to get them both about 10 touches, he and Jarquez, and then get those guys out of there, but be able to evaluate them. I think they've both had excellent camps, but I think it is really important for, especially those backs, to carry the football in live settings and that was the approach. Blake's been awesome. I thought he did some really good stuff last night. He's had an excellent camp, but that by in no means is anything other than a positive reflection of some of the work we wanted to get because we anticipated him being a big part of what we're going to do this year."
Corum had nine carries for 32 yards and two touchdowns in his first game since fracturing his forearm in Week 18 last season against the Seahawks, a injury that sidelined him for the playoffs. He was back in OTAs and drew praise from position coach Ron Gould for displaying the attributes the team saw during his junior and senior seasons at Michigan – this also carried over into camp.
"It felt great," Corum told theRams.com this week. "Obviously, like you said, Week 18, broke my arm, so that was the last time I had some live contact. Feel like I had a fantastic camp. I feel great. So just being able to go out there and get those live reps, it felt amazing."
For Hunter, it was his first live game action against an NFL defense. While known for his speed (see 40-yard dash time of 4.44 seconds), it his physicality that drew the most attention in his NFL debut, especially his body lean and the way he finished his runs on the way to 11 carries for 41 yards against the Cowboys.
"It felt great for me, too," Hunter told theRams.com this week. "Like just going from, my last football game I played was in November, so it's been a long period of time since I had physical contact. It felt good just getting back out there active with the guys. I felt like camp went pretty well. And just going out there for my first NFL game, it was pretty good."
It remains to be seen if the Rams will stick to the same plan in terms of the number of touches Corum and Hunter will get Saturday against the Chargers. Regardless of the scope of the work, though, both will happily take it.
"They ran well," said Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who called the plays against the Cowboys and will do so again this Saturday against the Chargers. "I thought as a unit, especially as the game went on, the holes were getting bigger and bigger. I know [running back] [Cody] Schrader there at the end, that was pretty cool just to see. It was four or five straight runs, the exact same run and guys were opening the holes. They ran hard. They got the ball where it was supposed to go to. In backs, the more they get the ball whether it be within a game or practice and as you stack weeks, the better and more comfortable they get. It was good to see live bullets. It is what we expected, and we'll continue to look for improvement."
