St. Louis Rams Closing Evaluations: What Grades Do the Running Backs Receive?

Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports

Benny Cunningham: Cunningham wasn’t able to match his success as a runner from 2013, but he found a way to entrench himself as an impactful role player in his second NFL season. Cunningham’s most prominent contribution was in the return game. After taking over as the Rams’ kick returner for the fourth game of the season, Cunningham went on to lead the NFC in yards per kickoff return, finishing with a 27.5 yard average, which placed him fourth overall in the NFL. His long for the year was a 75-yard return.

Cunningham also found a nice role as the Rams’ third down back and ended up being a key piece of the team’s passing game as they struggled to find reliable receivers. Cunningham, who finished fifth on the team in receiving yards, had 45 catches for 352 yards, which also included a receiving touchdown.

Unfortunately, Cunningham didn’t quite live up to expectations in the backfield after a strong rookie effort and a very good training camp. As he received plentiful reps during camp practices and the preseason, it was thought that he would be the strongest candidate to supplant Zac Stacy on the depth chart. Ultimately, though, Tre Mason stepped into the role, and Cunningham’s rushing attempts were limited as the season went on.

After rushing for 261 yards on 47 attempts (5.6 yards per carry) as a rookie, Cunningham followed up that effort by rushing for 246 yards on 246 carries, which resulted in a reduced average of 3.7 yards per attempt. He failed to be really explosive in the run game, with his long run of the year going for a modest 20 yards.

The one area in which Cunningham did become more successful was in the red zone, where he became a trusted option for the Rams. He scored three rushing touchdowns over the course of the year.

While Cunningham probably isn’t going to develop into a long-term starter at any point, he appears to have carved out an avenue to a solid career as a returner and contributor in the passing game.

GRADE: A-

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