'Confused!' Rams Reveal Cam Akers Trade Plan - With 1 Major Problem
The Los Angeles Rams are to their credit not playing silly games in their public conversations about running back Cam Akers, head coach Sean McVay on Monday conceding that the club has visited with "a handful of teams" about a trade for Akers.
"That's the direction that we're headed,'' McVay said.
McVay and Akers
Akers, for his part, claims to come away from the weekend's odd flurry of events "confused.'' But the Rams seem pretty transparent here, as Akers was a healthy scratch going into Sunday's Week 2 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, with McVay having called the deactivation in the "best interest" of the team.
When is benching your starting running back, a 2020 second-round pick who is playing on his rookie contract, "best''? There is the sense that this is more than just about football, more than just about the elevation of Kyren Williams, who replaced Akers as the Rams' No. 1 back and scored twice with 20 touches against the Niners.
That seems to be what Akers is wondering, having posted on social media, "I'm just as confused as everybody else. I'm blessed though."
But McVay debunked that, too, calling Akers' position "surprising."
"I feel very good about the clarity that was provided to him on Friday and Saturday, both through he and (agent) David Mulugheta," McVay said. "And that's unfortunate, but I feel like it was very clear in regards to our dialogue."
This is not Akers' first conflict with the club. Last season, Akers was absent for a month while he wished for a trade. McVay insists that this situation is "different,'' but in the end, the similarities are many ... including this one: If any other team is even interested, why would they give up anything in trade for a "confused'' "healthy-scratch'' backup running back?
