Does Cam Akers have any trade value and which teams might be interested…

Does Cam Akers have any trade value and which teams might be interested?

What will the Rams get back in a Cam Akers trade?

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Blaine Grisak



For the second time in two years, the Los Angeles Rams are attempting to trade Cam Akers. While head coach Sean McVay didn’t have a lot of updates on Monday, he did say that the Rams have spoken to a handful of teams. Here’s what McVay had to say,

“I don’t have any updates, but I know Les has talked to a handful of teams and worked with David Mulugheta and seeing if there’s some interest for him out there.”

When it comes to trading Akers, the big question is, does he actually hold any value. While the Rams running back did put out four good games of tape at the end of last season, his debut in Week 1 wasn’t very good. Akers averaged just 1.3 yards per carry on 22 attempts.

It’s not even Akers’ production that’s worrisome, but more so just the overall value of the running back position. This offseason, players like Dalvin Cook spent a long time as a free agent despite being one of the best running backs in the NFL over the past several seasons.

The fact of the situation is that running backs just don’t hold the same value that they once did, especially running backs that have a history of a torn achilles. It’s hard to see teams rushing to the phone to see what the Rams want for Akers.

On Monday Night football, Nick Chubb suffered a tragic injury that looks like it will put him out for the rest of the season. Jerome Ford managed to average 6.6 yards per carry. Ford was a fifth-round pick in 2022. Running backs can be found almost anywhere. There’s not a need for teams to give up draft capital to acquire what would be a replacement level starter.

Even if the Rams are only asking for a conditional sixth-round pick, it’s going to be difficult for them to offload Akers to another team. In terms of efficiency, Akers hasn’t been very good throughout much of his career. It doesn’t help that he’s also a one-dimensional player who doesn’t hold a lot of value as a pass-catcher and struggles in pass protection. Let’s take a look at a few teams that might be interested.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings make the most sense as potential destination for Akers. Alexander Mattison is the only running back that’s given Minnesota production. Ty Chandler was a fifth-round pick last season, but has just four carries in 2023 for zero yards. The Vikings also have Myles Gaskin on their roster.

Akers has experience in that style of offense as Kevin O’Connell is the head coach. O’Connell was the former offensive coordinator with the Rams. Akers wouldn’t be the starting running back in Minnesota, but may be able to create a nice duo with Mattison.

Carolina Panthers

Carolina is unlikely because they have Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard. However, outside of those two players, the Panthers don’t really have depth at the running back position. Thomas Brown is the offensive coordinator in Carolina and has been able to get the best out of Akers in the past.

The issue here is that the Panthers are a team in a rebuild and they also don’t have a lot of draft picks. Their first-round pick is owned by the Chicago Bears. While they do have some day three picks, this isn’t a team that seems like they would give up draft capital for a backup running back.

Cleveland Browns

This is another destination that seems unlikely despite the fact that Chubb is out for the season. Akers at the very least may be able to give the Browns some at running back behind Ford. Right now, they only have Pierre Strong Jr.

How desperate are the Browns for a running back to pair with Ford after losing Chubb? That’s the question here. This would be a good situation for Akers to be part of a solid running back room and be on a team with a good offensive line.

Honorable Mentions

There are teams like the New Orleans Saints who are extremely thin at running back. However, they will be getting Alvin Kamara back in a few weeks.

The Detroit Lions have a history with Akers given the Brad Holmes connection and may have lost David Montgomery for a few games. However, they still have Jahmyr Gibbs and Montgomery isn’t going to miss the season with a hamstring injury. When Montgomery returns, Akers would be the third running back.

At the end of the day, the options for Akers are limited, but the Rams need to figure out what to do quickly. This is a situation that can’t linger and become a distraction. Even if it results in Akers getting cut, the Rams must find a way forward.

As mentioned, NFL teams aren’t looking to trade for mid-level running backs. That doesn’t even mention Akers’ injury history with his achilles and the history of running backs with that injury. The San Francisco 49ers made a move for Christian McCaffrey last season, but Akers isn’t close to that level of player.

This will be a situation to monitor, but the Rams may find it difficult to move on when looking for a trade partner.