Zac

Stacy

Stacy, 30, was caught on camera brutally beating his ex-girlfriend back in November of last year and was charged with a pair of felonies. He’s very clearly a habitual abuser and utterly disgraceful human. Kristin Evans, Stacy’s victim, said, “He physically assaulted me several times because he wanted the money back he gave me for our rent. He punched my legs, slapped me, picked me up by my arms, and threw me into my window, which broke. I had glass in my feet that I removed myself.” Stacy deserves every bit of punishment he receives in and out of prison.

Stacy, 28 in April, “retired” from the NFL two years ago after complications with a broken ankle. The Vanderbilt product is playing for the hometown Express and became the league’s first 100-yard rusher on Saturday, showing trucking ability and hard-nosed after-contact running effort. Stacy scored from nine yards out and also broke off a 50-yard scamper later in the game. Stacy said he was making a comeback last March but never got any NFL nibbles.

The suspension comes at a bad time for Pead, who is in a three-way battle to start. He’s still very much in the mix for carries, but this opens the door wider for rookie Zac Stacy and Daryl Richardson. Pead has the ability to practice with the team and play in preseason games, so he’ll still get plenty of reps. The fact that Pead is missing one game is much less of a concern than the bad vibes he’s generating in St. Louis. The 50th overall pick in last year’s draft, Pead’s rookie season was a major disappointment.

Isaiah Pead and Zac Stacy are the top candidates for the starting role and inside rushing. Coach Jeff Fisher has said he wants to get the ball to Daryl Richardson in space as much as possible. And fullback-type Terrance Ganaway could be used as a short-yardage specialist. “We’re going to try to play to their strengths,” OC Brian Schottenheimer said. “With (Steven Jackson) last year, it was a little different. It was harder to do the committee because every time you took him out, you knew you were missing his leadership and his toughness. This year I think we’ve got nice pieces to try and blend in and differently attack people.”

Stacy (5-foot-8 3/8, 216) rushed for 2,334 yards and 24 touchdowns on 408 carries over his last two seasons at Vanderbilt. We like his ability to beat initial contact and his decisiveness as a runner, but he lacks explosion and top-end speed. Stacy will compete with Isaiah Pead and Daryl Richardson for lead-back duties. All three backs could have a substantial role in the Rams’ offense.

“Not whatsoever,” Fisher said Thursday. “He’s not going to be penalized as far as reps and carries during the preseason. We’re getting ready for a long haul, and we’ll be without him for one week, which we understand, but it doesn’t complicate things.” The fact that the Rams aren’t taking a tough-love approach with their second-year back suggests he remains their preferred lead runner. Zac Stacy and Daryl Richardson are going to get a lot of hype this summer, but Pead remains our best guess to replace Steven Jackson on early downs.

Stacy (5-foot-8 3/8, 216) spent two seasons as the Commodores’ feature back, rushing 408 times for 2,334 yards (5.72 YPC) and 24 touchdowns. He caught 46 career passes. Stacy ran 4.55 at the Combine with a 1.59 ten-yard split. A poised, balanced, decisive runner, Stacy lacks explosive burst and top-end talent, but we loved how he frequently beat first contact in the SEC. He runs with forward lean and appears comfortable in blitz pickup. With only Isaiah Pead, Daryl Richardson and Terrance Ganaway in front of him, Stacy is a name to keep an eye on.

Stacy ran ahead of fellow rookie Benny Cunningham after all, but found himself out-touched 25-1 by Richardson. With Isaiah Pead coming off suspension next week, Stacy is miles from re-draft relevance.

With Isaiah Pead back from suspension, Stacy will wear street clothes. Benny Cunningham is the No. 3 running back and helps out on special teams. Stewart has a thigh injury. LE Chris Long (hip) is active.

Stacy is behind Benny Cunningham and Chase Reynolds in the backfield because the other two play special teams. Joe Barksdale will start at right tackle.