LOS ANGELES — As with most of the Rams’ roster, there are few positions up for grabs. In the stone-cold certain category lies the running back room with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum – the emergence of the latter a season ago leading Rams coach Sean McVay’s options at tailback as a bona fide strength of the offensive operation.
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But behind the two running backs that will get the most run alongside quarterback Matthew Stafford remains another duo. Ronnie Rivers, 27 and in his fifth year in the league, has played sporadically through four seasons on the Rams and mostly in the kick-return phase. Jarquez Hunter, the team’s fourth-round selection a year ago, is still searching for his first regular-season snap and should see plenty of action during the Rams’ preseason finale against the Chargers on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium.
Hunter rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries against the Saints last week in Rams’ 34-0 preseason victory.
“It was an awesome run by Jarquez Hunter to be able to get the last touchdown,” McVay said of the second-year tailback’s 12-yard scoring scamper.
McVay was asked Monday what he looks for in a running back and the word he immediately gravitated to was “trust.”
On Tuesday, when asked about Rivers, that word was on his mind again.
“I trust that he knows what he’s doing,” McVay said. “I trust his instincts. I trust his ability to be able to be effective in pass protection, get the ball where it’s supposed to go in our different run schemes and be a functional extension of the pass game whether he’s on a scat release or whether he is a check down, he has got a good feel of the screen game. Ronnie Rivers is a guy that you’re very appreciative of.”
McVay made it clear that if Williams or Corum were to go down with an injury, or miss a game for another reason, Rivers would be the player ready to step in on short notice. In the meantime, Rivers has been a vital aspect of the Rams’ special teams operation, making him a multi-faceted player during the regular season and likely to suit up on game days.
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Hunter, whose spot on the Rams’ 53-man roster appears comfortable heading into Sunday’s roster-cut deadline considering he was a middle-round draft pick from last season, is still learning the ropes of the NFL. When asked Monday about the idea of running back trust that McVay mentioned, Hunter, 23, pointed to protecting the quarterback. Doing the small things that were important in college get magnified in the pros.
“I feel like coming from my rookie season to my second year … I feel like I got a better understanding of how how to protect the quarterback,” Hunter told the Southern California News Group.
Hunter continued: “Especially Matthew Stafford; he’s a big part of this offense. And you got to keep him upright and make sure you protect his backside. So us as a running back group, knowing what to do and knowing who to block and keeping him safe so he can make those great elite passes is really important.”
Hunter said that since arriving with the Rams last year after playing collegiately at Auburn, he’s kept a close eye at how Williams prepares day to day and his detailed reps during practice. Williams, who turned 26 on Wednesday, is coming off his third consecutive season with at least 1,100 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
“Just watching him and seeing how he do it, him telling me how to do it, I feel like that’s a great learning experience,” Hunter said.
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Preseason: Rams at Chargers
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: SoFi Stadium
TV/Radio: KCBS Ch. 2, KCAL Ch. 9/KFI 640 AM, ESPN LA 710 AM