Blake

Corum

Corum spelled Kyren Williams, who had 22 rushes, mostly in the second half. For the first time this season, it looked like Corum was the team’s No. 2 back instead of Ronnie Rivers. It would stand to reason Corum would be in line for a decent workload if Williams were to miss any time in 2024.

Rivers rotated into the backfield as the Rams’ No. 2 back in the second quarter of the team’s loss to the Bears. His best run went for 11 yards and he totaled 26 yards on six carries. Meanwhile, Blake Corum was not heard from at all this week. Rivers can be left on fantasy benches heading into Week 5 against the Packers.

It’s the second time in three weeks that Corum hasn’t played an offensive snap. If not for eight garbage time carries in a Week 2 loss to the Cardinals, it’s possible Corum would have even less work to show on the year. The Rams used the No. 83 overall pick on Corum in this year’s draft, leading many to believe he would be part of a backfield committee alongside Kyren Williams. Instead, Corum has mysteriously become an afterthought in the Rams’ offense, with Ronnie Rivers playing ahead of him in a limited capacity. Corum truthers can continue to stash him at their own discretion, but there’s no fantasy value to be had here at this time.

Kyren Williams was still the lead back, but the Rams got a bit of run from Corum, who produced 3.5 yards per carry in garbage time. He also notably returned the opening kickoff for 41 yards, showing his shiftiness throughout the game. Corum is unlikely to see a big workload yet, but is a valuable handcuff to Williams moving forward.

The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue followed up with McVay on the matter, reporting via social media that McVay said “Corum may possibly return kicks.” The news comes after McVay announced the team’s lead RB, Kyren Williams, will also return punts this year. Williams’ punt return announcement initially led to speculation regarding his rushing and receiving workload but Corum’s kick return news muddies the waters. It may indicate that McVay is simply focusing on getting the ball to his most talented playmakers whenever possible.

McVay told reporters on Tuesday that Williams will be the Rams’ punt returner. It’s not necessarily a new job for Williams, who returned three punts for 21 yards last season, but it’s interesting that he was named the punt returner with Tutu Atwell and Xavier Smith also in the mix. This also shows the Rams having confidence in Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers to spell Williams, indicating he may not be a complete workhorse for 2024. Fantasy managers are likely uneasy hearing this news, but Williams is a mid-to-late range RB1. Corum is cemented as a valuable backfield backup with the potential to see major usage this season.

Specifically, the Rams hope to allow Williams to “stay fresh.” Williams himself admitted to initial worry when the team used a third-round pick on Michigan RB Blake Corum, but the Rams’ exact intentions remain unclear. They have talked up the similarities between the two backs, leading to a belief that coach Sean McVay can “stay in the rhythm and how he calls the game.” That quote is via RBs coach Ron Gould. For his part, Williams seems to be preparing for a different workload this season. “Obviously it’s not going to be good for me (if I take every carry),” Williams admitted. We aren’t entirely sure how to guide fantasy managers here — it’s dangerous to over-interpret summer comments — but at the very least, it seems as if all parties are at least preparing to spell Williams more than they did during his fantasy dominant 2023. He’s a high-reward, moderate-risk proposition as a mid-range RB1.

Robinson has been present at Rams camp and believes Williams will “carry the load if healthy” this season. This aligns closely with what The OC Register’s Adam Grosbard said on the Rotoworld Football Show earlier this month when he said that he believes rookie Blake Corum was brought in to be a breather back for Williams rather than take a significant share of the backfield touches. Corum remains a high-end stash in fantasy leagues this season, but it sounds like Williams could be in line for another elite opportunity share this season as Corum’s arrival continues to be downplayed by observers.

Corum dodged a major scare in this one, exiting in the second quarter with a left knee injury. He returned in the second half to log just one carry, but his effort on the day still played a key role in leading Michigan to the win. His longest run of the day came on a 37-yard run on the first play of the game that helped set him up for a two-yard rushing touchdown later on the drive. Corum, whose draft stock continues to rise, had no trouble gouging the Illini defense for 103 rushing yards in the first half and would’ve been in for bigger day if not for the injury scare. The fact that he managed just one run in the second half is a bit concerning, as the team prepares for next week’s game against Ohio State, but the fact he was able to make it on the field to start the third quarter is somewhat encouraging. For now, it doesn’t appear there’s any reason to be concerned about this injury in the long term as he likely heads to the NFL after this season.

Corum continues to wreck Big Ten defenses this season, as his 166 yards give him four-straight games of 100+ yards on the ground. During that four-game stretch, Corum has totaled 666 yards and six touchdowns, with each of his big performances coming in conference play. The junior running back continues to make his case as one of the best backs in the nation and is climbing up 2023 NFL Draft big boards in the process. The Michigan product, should he declare, is putting together a solid resume for scouts, averaging over 5.5 YPC while totaling 13 touchdowns.