The most disappointing Rams of the 2024 season

Blake Corum couldn’t carve out a regular role on offense before suffering season-ending injury

There’s plenty for the Los Angeles Rams to build off from the success of their 2024 season. The offseason to-do list will be long as always, but they’ll also need to be honest about which players gave lackluster contributions and performed below expectations.

These are the X most disappointing individuals this season for the Rams:

1 – Jonah Jackson, iOL

LA signed Jackson to what was reported as a three-year, $51M contract in the early going of free agency. Now they stare down the option of cutting or trading him in order to save a mere $3M in cap space for 2025.

Was Jackson’s failed tenure in Los Angeles 100% his fault? Probably not. The Rams had a strange plan at the beginning of training camp to move Steve Avila from left guard—where he played well as a rookie—to center. In the later stages of camp, that planned change to slide Jackson inside to center and return Avila to left guard. This adjustment would have made Jackson one of the highest paid centers in the NFL.

This was still a farcry from the monstrous interior offensive line that LA had in mind when they signed Jackson to compliment an already strong group in Avila and Kevin Dotson.

2 – Colby Parkinson, TE

Another failed free agent signing from last offseason is TE Colby Parkinson. His deal was reported at three years and $22.5M, though the return of Tyler Higbee demonstrated how productive the position can be in Sean McVay’s offense.

By the end of the season, Parkinson was possibly as low as third or fourth on the depth chart. Higbee was the clear starter and Davis Allen and Hunter Long were also involved on offense.

Parkinson finished 2024 with 34 catches on 51 targets (66.7%) for 316 yards and two touchdowns including the playoffs. He played 638 offensive snaps, but was only on the field for four plays in the divisional playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

3 – Blake Corum, RB

Blake Corum was drafted in the third round out of Michigan because he brought a similar skillset as starter Kyren Williams. The congruency between the two players made it difficult for the rookie to find the field.

Ultimately, Corum’s season ended in Week 18 versus the Seattle Seahawks while LA was resting key starters in advance of the playoffs. He missed the postseason when he potentially could have given a boost or an alternative to Williams who struggles with ball security.

Corum finished the year with 118 snaps. He carried the ball 58 times for 207 yards (3.6 average) and caught seven of eight targets for 58 yards. He’s still looking for his first NFL touchdown.

4 – Cooper Kupp, WR

Kupp didn’t play between Week 2 and Week 8 because of injury. In an abbreviated season he played 734 offensive snaps including the postseason.

The veteran caught 73 of 105 targets (69.5%) for 800 yards and six touchdowns. Kupp had three games with more than 100 yards, but these all came before Week 12:

• Week 1 at Detroit Lions: Caught 14 of 21 targets for 110 yards and TD
• Week 9 at Seattle Seahawks: 11 of 14 for 104 yards
• Week 11 at New England Patriots: 6 of 10 for 106 yards and 2 TD’s

That’s simply not good enough for a player that is still paid towards the top of the receiver position. Puka Nacua played 140 fewer snaps and gained 331 more yards than Kupp. Nacua is clearly LA’s number one receiver moving forward.

Will that push Kupp out of town?

5 – Kamren Curl, DB

It may seem odd to some to put Curl on this list. He’s a capable starting safety, as evidenced by his reliability in four years with the Washington Commanders.

However, Curl isn’t a plus player on defense. He just kind of exists. He’s hasn’t intercepted a pass since his rookie season in 2020 despite playing over 3,800 defensive snaps in that timeframe.

As the nearest defender in coverage across 2024, Curl was targeted 37 times and allowed 25 receptions (67.6% completion) for 338 yards, six touchdowns, and a passer rating of 136.0. He was also flagged for coverage penalties on two occasions.

The coverage numbers improved as the season progressed. Curl allowed just 53 yards as the nearest defender in coverage after Week 12 including two playoff games. But while rookie Kamren Kinchens establishes himself as a playmaker in the secondary, Curl individually allowed one in five of LA’s total 30 passing touchdowns on defense.