I'm not so sure it's a battle between Henderson and Akers for being "the starter". I think it's an issue that RBs get beat up so badly, and they get hurt so regularly, and to have one star you depend upon (like Gurley) is taking a huge risk, that the era of rotating 2 or 3 good RBs instead of having 1 "workhorse" RB is the better way to do.
Every RB has their strengths and weaknesses. Bellicheat has been master for years of taking a few "good enough" RB's, each with a certain set of strengths, and using them within their strengths at various points throughout a game. But several RBs also get lots of playing time throughout the year such that if one is lost, the entire offense doesn't take a big hit.
Losing Gurley essentially destroyed the Rams offense; everything was designed to run through him. Even a somewhat diminished Gurley disrupted things. That just can't happen again. And under McVay/Snead I don't think it will, again.
