Rams Rookie RB Tre Mason Expects to Compete in Order to Start
St. Louis Rams rookie running back Tre Mason was drafted for a reason. Before Zac Stacy rose to the occasion in 2013 and became an effective down back, the Rams didn’t have much of an answer in the post-Steven Jackson era when it came to the running back position.
Heading into the 2014 NFL season, they didn’t have much of an answer behind Stacy, either. That’s precisely why Mason was selected in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft – to come in and help Stacy solidify a suddenly strong St. Louis rushing attack.
He thinks there’s a little more to it than that.
Per reports, Mason says that the Rams coaching staff “told him” that he would be competing with Stacy for the starting job in the Rams’ offensive backfield. Stacy has proven to be a very effective and reliable ball carrier in just about every regard, but there’s no denying Mason’s superior athleticism, versatility and natural running ability.
With that being said, this supposed open competition can be looked at from two perspectives. On one hand, it always makes sense to give the idea of true competition. It keeps Stacy on his toes and also gives Mason something to strive for as a rookie. If Stacy thinks he could lose his job, he’ll naturally work harder to keep it. On the other side, Mason has clear flaws and lacks experience, and even the slightest chance at a starting gig could force him to work harder than he normally might to improve himself.
It’s also not even June yet, and this is coming from a rookie. However, it’s worth noting that Stacy isn’t the most explosive runner and appeared to struggle mightily down the stretch of his rookie season. Specifically, he put up less than 4.0 yards per carry in five of his last seven games and ended the season with a rough outing against the Seattle Seahawks (15 yards on 15 carries).
Part of Stacy’s struggles have to do with his lack of elite athleticism. He runs hard, has good vision and power and drives well with his legs, but he lacks top level quickness, burst or long speed. Mason has all of things things. His major flaws are more of the technical variety, as he’ll need to prove he can effectively pick up blitzes in pass protection and hold onto the football consistently.
From a talent perspective, there’s no reason to think the Rams wouldn’t consider the switch. Stacy was productive as a rookie in 2013, but he also was force fed the football and is truly a middling talent. Just about anyone that is handed 250 carries in 14 games like he was is going to put up some numbers. Getting a 3.9 yards per carry out of that kind of a role isn’t earth shattering.
Toss the more versatile and athletic Mason into the mix, and things just might get interesting. Needless to say, it’s a preseason battle worth monitoring, even if it isn’t officially a battle just yet.
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