Xavier

Jones

It is an Achilles’ tendon injury that requires surgery, but coach Sean McVay did not say if it is a full tear. Jones should clear waivers and revert to injured reserve, where he will then spend the entire season unless he gets healthy and the Rams cut him loose with an injury settlement. Jones was injured in last weekend’s preseason finale. It makes the Rams’ acquisition of Sony Michel vitally more important. A second-year UDFA out of SMU, Jones turned 24 a week ago. Rookie Jake Funk is now in the driver’s seat for No. 3 duties behind the injury prone Michel and Darrell Henderson. To get down to 53 players on Tuesday, the Rams waived/released RB Otis Anderson, WR Landen Akers, WR Jeremiah Haydel, WR Trishton Jackson, WR J.J. Koski, TE Kendall Blanton, TE Kyle Markway, OT Chandler Brewer, OT Max Pircher, OT Ryan Pope, OG Jeremiah Kolone, OG Jordan Meredith, DE Earnest Brown, DE John Daka, DE Maximilian Roberts, DT Eric Banks, DT Marquise Copeland, DT George Silvanic, LB Micah Kiser, LB Justin Lawler, LB Derrick Moncrief, LB Christian Rozeboom, CB Tyler Hall, DE Dont’e Deayon, DB Paris Ford, DB Jake Gervase, DB Brontae Harris, DB Dayan Lake, DB Donovan Olumba, DB Kareem Orr, DB Troy Warner, K Austin MacGinnis and LS Steven Wirtel.

At one point, coach Sean McVay said Jones would “carve out a role for himself” this year; that was before Sony Michel was acquired. The 24-year-old instead found himself handling 16 touches in a meaningless preseason game ahead of Week 1. Jones’ best-case scenario in the short-term is being active on game days as the Rams’ third runner. He would only offer value if both Darrell Henderson and Michel are absent at any point this year.

McVay stated that the Rams trade for Sony Michel “doesn’t really change the outlook for [Henderson].” McVay could be telling the truth here, but the problem for fantasy managers is that it’s unclear what Henderson’s role was going to be even prior to the Michel trade. It’s possible that Henderson was going to form a committee with another running back all along, with that running back now revealed to be Michel. McVay’s comments are still a positive sign, in the sense that Henderson only needs to maintain a large share of receiving work and to mix in and the goal line to retain significant fantasy value. As long as the Rams don’t view Michel as the clear-cut starter, the explosive Henderson can still be viewed as a viable upside play in fantasy drafts.

Michel started for two seasons in New England after being selected in the first round in 2018. He then lost the starting job to Damien Harris in 2020. In spite of his demotion, 2020 was actually Michel’s best season from an efficiency standpoint. He set career highs in Pro Football Focus’ breakaway percentage and elusive rating metrics, as well as in yards per carry. He also had a career year as a receiver with 2.38 yards per route run. Michel offers the Rams an early down veteran presence as they work through the loss of Cam Akers, and Darrell Henderson’s thumb sprain. It’s also possible that Michel shifts into a more versatile Malcolm Brown-esque role with the Rams, despite being pigeon-holed as an early down runner in New England. Regardless of Michel’s exact role, Henderson should maintain significant value as the Rams primary back, with Michel spelling him for stretches. Michel’s departure reiterates Damien Harris’ status as the Patriots clear cut starter. It also opens up opportunity for preseason rookie sensation, Rhamondre Stevenson.

Henderson continues working as the team’s lead back after Cam Akers’ season-ending Achilles injury. Rams head coach Sean McVay has expressed some concern about Henderson’s injury history, which includes nicks and bumps but nothing catastrophic. McVay has pledged not to play Henderson at all this preseason. Fowler urged fantasy managers to “remember the name” Jake Funk, a seventh-round backup running back who has earned training camp reps with “his quick understanding of the offense and open-field vision.” Funk and RB Xavier Jones would likely split carries if Henderson were to miss time in 2021.

McVay went on to say that Jones is someone the Rams are “expecting to count on throughout the season.” He also praised Jones’ ability in pass protection. To be clear, no one expects Jones to challenge Darrell Henderson for the starting role. However, Jones could be more than a true backup to Henderson. Even as a star collegiate running back, Henderson was not a workhorse at Memphis. He has also struggled with injuries in his first two NFL seasons. Jones could plausibly work into a committee with Henderson if he continues to impress.

Rodrigue’s reporting is very much in line with how Rams coaches have talked about Henderson since Cam Akers went down to a season-ending Achilles injury. Head coach Sean McVay said in July that he sees Henderson -- who served as LA’s starting back for much of the 2020 season’s first half -- as an “every-down back” while emphasizing “needing to make sure he can stay durable.” Rodrigue said Jake Funk and Xavier Jones have gotten a fair amount of work with the Rams’ first-team offense in training camp, indicating one or both guys will rotate with Henderson at times. Rodrigue pointed out that Henderson, 24 this month, hasn’t been treated like a true workhorse back since high school. So far, fantasy managers aren’t sure what to do with Henderon, who’s going at the end of the fourth round in 12-team formats.

Barring a splashy free agent signing -- a distinct possibility after the Rams lost Cam Akers to an Achilles injury -- Jones could be the next guy up after Henderson, the default No. 1 back following the Akers injury. Henderson has struggled through injuries in his two NFL seasons, missing four games and parts of others with a variety of minor injuries. Jones, 24 in August, is an undrafted free agent out of Southern Methodist University (SMU) who recorded nearly 1,300 rushing yards and 23 rushing scores in his final collegiate season. Rodrigue said Akers’ season-ending injury almost guarantees seventh-round rookie RB Jake Funk -- an analytics darling -- will make the Rams’ final roster. Funk, 23, suffered two ACL injuries and a broken hand in college, limiting his opportunity at Maryland, where he gained 7.2 yards per carry on 135 attempts. Henderson missing time in 2021 could open up opportunities for Jones and Funk, both of whom will be highly coveted by Zero RB drafters this summer.

Schefter noted that the Rams like what they have with Henderson and Xavier Jones, a UDFA the team signed last year. Henderson was a dominant runner in college, hitting 1,909 yards in his junior season. He also averaged over 20 receptions per year in his three outings at Memphis. A former third-round selection, Henderson has the pedigree and potential role to flirt with RB1 numbers if the Rams don’t sign a notable veteran. Jones is a powerful runner who found the end zone 23 times during his senior season at SMU and could be in the mix for work on early downs. The Rams also selected Maryland’s Jake Funk in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Funk never topped 60 carries in a single collegiate season and should be expected to start his pro career as a special teams player.