It seems likely that Cam Akers' time with the Rams has come to an end. Coach Sean McVay said that Los Angeles is looking to find the third-year running back out of Florida State "a fresh new start with another team."
Akers had been expected to take a step forward in his third NFL season after missing most of 2021 due to a torn Achilles. Instead, he has found himself in and out of the rotation and largely behind Darrell Henderson in the pecking order.
So far this season, Akers has totaled just 151 yards and a touchdown on 51 carries. His 3.0 yards per carry average is the worst among qualified players in the NFL.
Despite that, McVay isn't necessarily low on Akers. He just believes that a change of scenery and into a better situation could spark the young back.
"I'd like to think I'm a very open-minded person," McVay explained, per ESPN. "But I think when you look at certain situations and scenarios with the way that things have kind of unfolded, as of right now, I think ... the best option for all parties ... would be to explore if there's a good situation for him with another team.
"If that doesn't come to fruition, I would never say that him coming back and figuring out the best way to be able to utilize him and him be the best player he's capable of is, is off the table. I would never speak in absolutes like that."
MORE: Why Rams, Sean Mcvay are fielding trade calls about Cam Akers
Even though the Rams may keep Akers, it seems more likely that they will trade him. It's hard to know whether teams will pay draft capital to acquire a running back, but Akers is just 23 years old and looked like a potential starting running back at times during the 2020 NFL season.
That could entice at least a handful of NFL teams to make offers for him. Here's where Akers would fit in best if he is ultimately traded.
Cam Akers' best trade landing spots
1. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, but they could stand to add more at running back. Miles Sanders has 485 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the year, but neither Kenneth Gainwell or Boston Scott have cracked 100 yards behind him.
Akers would provide the Eagles with another young, explosive playmaker at running back. Playing behind an upgraded offensive line and alongside a mobile quarterback like Jalen Hurts would provide Akers with more running room than he had with the Rams and could unlock his high-end potential.
2. Buffalo Bills
Devin Singletary has emerged as the Bills' top running back during the season while Josh Allen continues to be one of the best running quarterbacks in the NFL. That said, the Bills are light on talent in the backfield aside from those two, as rookie second-round pick James Cook is still developing while Zack Moss is little more than a middling backup who runs with some power.
Akers would provide the Bills with a nice combination of upside and experience. If he regains his pre-Achilles tear form, he could unseat Singletary as the starter and add another playmaking option to Buffalo's stellar offense. If not, he should still be an upgrade over the Cook/Moss duo, at least in the short term.
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3. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs represent another contender that could use a running back upgrade, though they don't need one. Kansas City is currently employing a three-man rotation that features starter Clyde Edwards-Helaire and backups Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco, but they could stand to add to it.
Akers is the same size at Pacheco at 5-10, 216 pounds, but he is a bit more powerful than the seventh-round rookie. The Chiefs could take a flyer on Akers and hope that he can become the team's best player between the tackles. That would relegate Edwards-Helaire to more passing-centered work, where Andy Reid could get the most out of the former first-round pick.
4. Denver Broncos
Look, the Broncos may be sitting at 2-4, but they are trying to build a team that can win now. They have the NFL's worst scoring offense (15.2 points per game) so the team should be willing to try anything to fix it.
One option is to take pressure off Russell Wilson with the running game. The problem is that Denver's top running back, Javonte Williams, is out for the season with a torn ACL while Melvin Gordon seems to have fallen out of favor quickly under Nathaniel Hackett.
As such, Latavius Murray and Mike Boone are currently Denver's top two running backs. Neither is a bad backup to have, but starting them is less than ideal, especially with Wilson struggling. Akers would give the team a potential workhorse interim who could open things up for the passing game. And for 2023, he and Williams would form one of the most explosive running back tandems league-wide.
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5. Los Angeles Chargers
Staying in Los Angeles is an option in more ways that one for Akers. The Rams could eventually welcome him back, but going to the Chargers would also make sense.
The Chargers are currently operating a three-man split at running back, one that is roughly a 60-20-20 one between Austin Ekeler, Sony Michel and Joshua Kelley. Los Angeles has long been reluctant to overwork Ekeler, who missed seven games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The 5-10, 200-pound back never logged a 1,000-yard rushing season and has only run more than 132 times once in his NFL career.
Akers would work as a nice counterpart to Ekeler. He would take some of the load from the veteran between the tackles, which would, in turn, keep Ekeler fresher and give him more opportunities to produce as a pass catcher. He also has familiarity with Chargers coach Brandon Staley, who used to be the Rams' defensive coordinator, so that's another plus with his fit here.
6. Carolina Panthers
This may seem odd, but if the Panthers trade Christian McCaffrey, then they will have Chuba Hubbard and D'Onta Foreman as their top two running backs. That's less than ideal.
Scott Fitterer has never been afraid to make a trade, so he could see an appealing buy-low opportunity with Akers here. As such, don't be surprised if the Panthers are at least in the mix for Akers.
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7. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are one of the few non-contenders on this list, but they could still pursue Akers.
Currently, Atlanta has Cordarrelle Patterson as its top running back. He was averaging an excellent 5.9 yards per carry before suffering a knee injury in Week 4, but he is also 31 and could fall off as his athleticism wanes.
Akers would be a nice future starting option while Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley could battle for the backup job behind him. He would help the Falcons continue to build on what has been a strong running game that has supported Marcus Mariota.
