The Facts: After spending most of 2020 with a committee backfield -- which was, admittedly, effective in part because of its unpredictability and differences in style -- Akers' late-season rise in 2020 has coach Sean McVay convinced they have their new bell cow. "You saw Darrell Henderson step up, Malcolm Brown was really consistent throughout the year, but Cam hit his stride at the right moments," McVay said Thursday. "Really, I think he's an every-down back. I think he's a special player."

Diehards Line:Drafted with the 52nd overall pick in last year's draft, Akers got off to a slow start as a rookie, hampered by injury and a resulting lack of playing time. But when the Rams needed a significant ground-game factor down the stretch of the 2020 season, Akers stepped up, posting his best career outing in a 29-carry, 171-yard performance against New England in Week 11. He stepped up even more significantly in the playoffs, rushing 28 times for 131 yards and a touchdown, finally showing legitimate flashes of what had made him a prized prospect out of Florida State. As countless players have said in hindsight, year two was when it all started to slow down and make sense for them, and with Akers entering his second professional season and first behind a signal-caller the caliber of Matthew Stafford, he seems to be entering a situation ripe for the taking. Perhaps we're just months from the rest of the football world seeing what McVay already believes to be true.