Following the conclusion of the 2024 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams made a series of roster moves to place the team in position to compete for a title in 2025. Those efforts came up short in the NFC Championship Game, with the Rams taking lessons from that loss and using them to improve for 2026.
However, after the Rams' offense sputtered in their 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, another evident truth about the team has reared its ugly head.
A year later, the Rams have yet to replace Cooper Kupp or Demarcus Robinson
On August 10, 2025, I asked Rams head coach Sean McVay about how they would modify their offense after losing Kupp and Robinson that offseason.
“The good thing is you get a player like Davante [Adams] in," said McVay. "We'll miss both those guys. They were great teammates and great contributors. I love
both of those guys for what they were to the locker room. You guys obviously know the experience with Cooper and how much I love him. ‘D-Rob’ was such a breath of fresh air. He was so fun to be around the last couple years. We'll definitely miss those guys. On a positive, I'm really encouraged by the improvement from a lot of guys you've seen from Year 1 to Year 2.
"You look at Xavier Smith, you look at Jordan Whittington, and you look at the improvement of even Puka [Nacua] going from Year 2 to Year 3 and Tutu Atwell getting another year of experience has been awesome. Then you bring in somebody like Davante Adams and he's been awesome. We’re continuing to figure that out and that's a positive thing for us.”
The Rams never figured it out. Atwell was a $10 million bust, being used only as a speedy decoy; Whittington didn't factor in the offense at all, just as he didn't on Thursday; and Xavier Smith hasn't seen enough of the field to make a difference.
Not only did the Rams fail to replace Robinson's production as a WR3, but they also have yet to replace his skill set. A WR3 in the McVay offense needs to be tall enough to target, while fast enough to be a decoy. Robinson's time in Los Angeles can be defined by big touchdowns in unlikely scenarios. The Rams have yet to adjust their offense for another player to take that role, especially as his skill set is so unique.
Adams did become the tall threat the team needed, but what made Kupp so special – even in his later years – is that he would make a single spectacular play that would change the course of a contest. Adams has been schemed out of being that player, while Puka Nacua already does the superhuman on the field.
More importantly, the Rams haven't replaced Kupp's blocking ability, and their 11 personnel offense has suffered because of it. Nacua does what he can, but when it was Kupp and Robert Woods, they were whacking people. Kupp gives that edge to Seattle, an edge Los Angeles has lacked.
To add insult to injury, both Kupp and Robinson were excellent in their season debuts this week. Kupp looked as good as ever, helping Drew Lock lead the Seattle Seahawks to victory. A hero in their Super Bowl victory, he engineered their comeback to cap off their celebration with a circus catch against tight coverage, reminiscent of the catch he pulled off against the Philadelphia Eagles in his final game with the franchise.
Now, the Rams find themselves in an odd spot. Terrance Ferguson was supposed to help fill the gap, but that didn't happen in the opener, with Ferguson receiving only one target. In that same game, Robinson had two catches for 50 yards and a 39-yard go-ahead touchdown for the 49ers.
Matthew Stafford had low visibility due to the San Francisco defense, targeting Nacua and Adams a total of 15 times, resulting in only eight catches. Whittington only had one catch, Konata Mumpfield did nothing until garbage time (when he got injured), Smith didn't get one target, and both Atwell and CJ Daniels were listed as inactive.
McVay's answer from one year ago has failed to hold up, and how the Rams address this issue moving forward will define the success of the offense. However, in the loss to San Francisco, perhaps an answer was revealed.
Are running backs the answer?
Running back Kyren Williams finished the game with three receptions off three targets for 24 yards. If Williams continues to grow as a receiver, perhaps the answer to replacing Kupp and Robinson falls in line with the answer the Rams had to replace Nacua in London.
With Nacua out with injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, the Rams installed their 13 personnel offense, using three tight ends to support their rushing attack before using their tight ends as mismatches in a play-action-predicated passing attack. Stafford went ballistic, launching five touchdowns in one of the more efficient offensive attacks ever put together.
What if this season, it's 21 personnel? Williams and Blake Corum on the field at one time. Let's be real, in the Rams' 11 personnel offense, Whittington is a blocker before he's a receiver, while Williams would be a matchup nightmare against NFL linebackers and allow Stafford to attack the underneath quickly. The more quick attacks, the healthier the offensive line remains, while the opposing defense starts to tire out.
Plus, Corum is on the field more as a runner, while Stafford would have two built-in pass protectors if need be, especially for long-developing plays. If Ferguson is more of a receiver anyway, that's three pass catchers who can beat man coverage, with Williams being a potential fourth on the field; that plays into their well-established offensive principles.
Rotate Ronnie Rivers in, use the running backs to stay ahead of the chains on early downs, allowing the offense to naturally cycle through 11, 12, and 13 personnel. It might be dramatic, but Williams and Corum were the team's best players outside of Nacua on Thursday. Seems like a waste not to use them to their full potential, especially as both straight-up workhorses who want to carry the Rams to victory.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: How Rams could use RBs to breathe life into the offense
