The Los Angeles Rams stumbled in the worst way against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night, losing their season opener, 27-7. It was one of the worst losses in Sean McVay's tenure, making the long flight back to Southern California feel that much longer after a defeat like that.
Three players stood out in a positive way for the Rams, but many of their biggest stars were disappointments in Melbourne.
It's hard to find very many bright spots from this loss, but Corum was one of them. He rushed 10 times for 54 yards, with a long of 13 yards. At one point in the second quarter, he racked up 34 yards on four straight carries, looking quick and explosive through the line of scrimmage.
Some will make the case that he should be the Rams' No. 1 running back, and while we're not quite at that point yet, he did look like the bigger playmaker on the field Thursday.
From the very beginning of the game, Stafford didn't look comfortable. He was holding the ball a second longer than usual, whether it was because receivers weren't getting open or he wasn't trusting what he was seeing. He completed just 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards and no touchdowns with one bad interception when the Rams were in field goal range.

#thursday

Many fantasy football managers will employ a late-round TE strategy going into their drafts. Once you get past the handful of elite options at TE, things get pretty flat pretty quick. With that in mind, Yahoo **** ysts Hayden Winks, Justin Boone and Scott Pianowski give you their favorite sleeper tight end for the 2026 season.
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If you want the most terminally online deep sleeper, Ferguson is your guy. The 2025 second-round pick played in the most absurd role in tight end history last year under coach Sean McVay. Ferguson largely played a vertical receiving role in 2- and 3-TE sets as a downfield receiver in disguise. His average depth of target was 17.9 yards downfield. Only Tyquan Thornton, Alec Pierce and Kyle Williams were targeted more downfield!!! That will boggle the mind. Fast-forward to this year, the Rams need better talent at "WR," and Ferguson could be the answer based on what he provided last season. Davante Adams was dangled in trade discussions open to the public after a down season beyond the goal line, and trading for Tutu Atwell on Aug. 27 is never a great sign for the rest of the room. There's a chance (25%) that Ferguson is viewed as the team's WR3 this season. McVay's done crazy things like this before with Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and 3-TE sets. — Hayden Winks
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The loss of a true breakout receiver in Jayden Higgins will have significant ramifications on the Texans' passing attack. Nico Collins is an elite top target, with Jaylin Noel and Kayshon Boutte as quality contributors. However, fantasy managers shouldn't sleep on Dalton Schultz. The veteran tight end seems like a boring pick, but he's quietly coming off a strong fantasy campaign where he averaged the 11th-most points at his position over the final 13 weeks. That included finishing tied for third in receptions among tight ends (82) and sixth in receiving yards (777). With Higgins sidelined for the season, Schultz now has a chance to be C.J. Stroud's No. 2 target once again. You're not going to impress your leaguemates by taking the 30-year-old Texans tight end. But if you somehow miss out on the top-13 options at the position, Schultz is in the next group of high-end TE2s who could easily end the year as a fantasy TE1. — Justin Boone

#tight #schultz #downfield

Despite already having Kyren Williams and Blake Corum locked in as their top two backs last year, the Los Angeles Rams still traded up 10 spots to select Jarquez Hunter in the fourth round of the 2025 draft. In his rookie season, Hunter had zero carries and didn't even play a single snap on offense, being a healthy scratch multiple times last year.
It was a disappointing development for the promising running back, and the outlook hasn't gotten much better this year. He's still the No. 4 option behind Williams, Corum and Ronnie Rivers, and he could even be in danger of losing that role.
That's because undrafted rookie Dean Connors showed a lot of promise in the Rams' preseason win over the Chiefs on Saturday. And it's not so much that Connors put up better numbers, but it's the skill set he brings to the table.
Connors was a solid runner in college, but he was also a very good receiver out of the backfield. In the last three years (two at Rice, one at Houston), he caught 139 passes for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns.
And sure enough, the two touchdowns he scored against the Chiefs in his preseason debut on Saturday were through the air. He caught a 9-yard screen pass from Ty Simpson, split two defenders and punched it into the end zone for the game's first touchdown.

#connors #corum #Rams #saturday

Credit One Bank is ending its decade-long 'One Lap to Go' broadcast integration with NASCAR, but the company has made it clear that its relationship with the sport is not going away.
The familiar 'Credit One, one to go' phrase has been part of NASCAR broadcasts since 2016, becoming closely ******* ociated with the final lap of races.
Credit One's partnership has extended beyond television over the years, including a NASCAR-branded American Express card offering fan rewards and race-related benefits.
Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Credit One Bank has confirmed it will continue investing in NASCAR despite stepping away from its long-running broadcast role.

#nascar #american #samuel #corum

It's fantasy football mock draft SZN. We completed a chaotic one on YouTube where I leaned heavily into RBs because there were two flex spots and the board just fell that way, but that was a very unique build. Today's team is far more standard for a full-PPR team. Let's dive in.
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Here's a look at the full list of picks for the first 10 rounds of the Full-PPR, 12-team mock draft.
Round 1: I picked fourth overall, which is where I want to be in general. In this dream scenario, Puka Nacua fell to me despite me considering him the 1.01 in full-PPR formats. It'd be Nacua, Ja'Marr Chase, Jahmyr Gibbs and then Bijan Robinson for me at the top before a slight tier drop to Christian McCaffrey, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jonathan Taylor. That tier has slightly more risk or slightly less upside than the Big 4. What I wouldn't recommend is James Cook III at third overall, like my friend Aaron. In fact, Cook's lack of receiving profile keeps him out of my top-12 rankings entirely.
Round 2: After the star talents at RB get scooped up, my attention always goes to Brock Bowers in full-PPR re-draft formats. The drop-off at TE scoring after the top-eight this year is concerning, and I'm struggling to find breakout sleepers at the position. Bowers is uniquely set up for a 28% or higher target share while competing for looks with Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker. That's the difference between my Round 2 Bowers ranking and my Round 3 Trey McBride ranking. In general, I don't see any obvious fades in Round 2. I'm most skeptical of Omarion Hampton's workload and Ashton Jeanty's touchdown upside early in Round 2, but their upside is obvious. The lone true mistake in this mock draft is Kyren Williams at 2.23, given how much Blake Corum threatened him last year (I drafted Corum later in this draft).

#full #draft #nacua #corum

Alexandros Kyziridis has penned an emotional farewell message to Hearts fans after the winger's departure to Turkish side Corum FK was confirmed.
The 25-year-old, capped for the first time this year by Greece, moved to Tynecastle as a free agent last summer from Slovakian side Zemplin Michalovce, and scored six goals and provided 11 **** ists in 45 appearances for Hearts.
Kyziridis was influential early in his time at the club and was a key part of the side that came close to a historic league **** le last season.
The winger said on Instagram: "I leave with a heart full of gratitude and memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
"The victories, the difficult moments, the celebrations, the defeats, the dressing room, the fans, and all those little moments that maybe seemed ordinary at the time but will always mean so much to me.

#side #kyziridis #moments #alexandros

Kyren Williams and Blake Corum have become 1A and 1B at running back for the Los Angeles Rams. They helped lead the league's most efficient rushing attack last season, combining for 1,998 yards on the ground with 19 total touchdowns combined.
Corum has eaten into Williams' workload a bit but even as they compete for snaps, there's no disdain between them. They're complementary pieces on the field and brothers off it.
Corum opened up about how special his bond with Williams is, calling him his "brother."
"That's my brother, man," Corum said. "Like I was just saying, as a running back group in general, we've grown every year that I've been here. But I feel like Kyren and I, that's truly my brother. I can go to him and ask him anything. Whether it be on the field, off the field, he knows he can call me for whatever situation and I'll show up for him. When I [say] brotherhood, I really have love for him. I don't show anyone my daughter, but I like showing him, 'Hey, look at my daughter right here.' You can tell he enjoys it and it means a lot to me. I have a lot of love for Kyren. I've learned a lot from him in my years here. We're only going to continue to grow and be true brothers."
Williams is a perfect role model for younger running backs, modeling the way perfectly at the position. He puts in the work, trains hard and shows great leadership every day.

#corum

Where to watch Rams preseason games 2026: Full schedule, times, TV channels, live streams for Los Angeles originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
On paper, the Los Angeles Rams might have the best team in the NFL.
Spearheaded by reigning MVP Matthew Stafford and head coach Sean McVay, the Rams enter the 2026 season with the same offense that led the NFL in scoring a year ago. Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are all back.
Defensively, the Rams look almost unbeatable. Los Angeles traded for two-time Defensive Player of the Year edge rusher Myles Garrett and star cornerback Trent McDuffie this offseason. The team also picked up McDuffie's ex-Chiefs teammate, cornerback Jaylen Watson, in free agency.
While not all of these stars will see extended time in the preseason, these games could be a sign of things to come for the Rams in 2026.

#Rams #time #full

The Los Angeles Rams lit up the scoreboard last season as the No. 1 offense in the NFL, and they're returning all of their key players. Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Kyren Williams are the primary skill players around Matthew Stafford, but second-year tight end Terrance Ferguson should not be forgotten.
Ferguson made the most of his limited opportunities last season, averaging 21 yards per catch on 11 receptions, with three of those catches going for touchdowns. Entering Year 2, Ferguson's stock is trending up.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently visited Rams training camp and from what he's heard, Ferguson has had a "fantastic offseason" and the Rams "now believe he could grow into one of the NFL's best tight ends.
On offense, Davante Adams, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams are where you'd expect them to be, and Colby Parkinson is leading a deep, versatile tight end group. The second layer of skill talent is where the offense could look a little different than it did a year ago. Terrance Ferguson has had a fantastic offseason. He is now proving to be a guy who can play all over the formation and looks like he could be a force after the catch, showing why the Rams coveted him in the 2025 draft and now believe he could grow into one of the NFL's best tight ends. Blake Corum has also worked to earn carries alongside Williams, seeing the game faster, and looking like a guy who could add a big-play element to the Rams' physical run game. If there's a question on offense, it's at tackle, where Alaric Jackson is facing potential discipline from the NFL, and Rob Havenstein retired.
Considering how much talent there is at the tight end position across the NFL right now, those are some seriously high expectations. If he were to somehow develop into a player of Trey McBride or Brock Bowers' caliber, it would completely change the complexion of the offense.

#offense #adams

There's a narrative circulating the Los Angeles Rams that their RB1 job should be up for grabs between Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, due to Corum's explosiveness and the number of big runs he pulled off in 2025.
While it does make sense for Corum to have an increased workload, there is zero evidence to prove that Corum deserves the RB1 job. In order to be an RB1 on the Rams, a running back must be able to play an evolving role within the offense. The Rams' offense is predicated on mirroring the run and the pass through plays that mimic similar opening steps.
One of the more hashed-out points in the argument for why Corum isn't able to be the player the Rams need is that Corum's running style is patient and slow in his initial steps. The brilliance about his style is that he is able to navigate holes as they develop to run away from overpursuing defenders. The downside is that if those holes don't open, Corum gets tackled for a loss, and there's no fear being instilled into the defense to mirror the run and pass.
Williams may not have breakaway speed, but he is a hard-nosed runner that defenses are forced to respect with his instant quickness to their approach. Since the defense knows Williams won't wait, they have to respond at the snap of the ball, making them more susceptible to leaving gaps for the passing game to exploit.
However, the biggest issue when it comes to Corum is his play outside of being a runner. His frame is too small to be a consistent run blocker, and his hands have way too many question marks to use him in the pass game, especially since ******* tend to deflect off his hands and remain airborne for defenders to grab. He had three drops on only 14 targets last season, which is an atrocious rate.

With training camp only two weeks away, we're counting down the days until players are back on the field getting ready for the 2026 season. Warren McClendon Jr. is a key player to watch this year, entering Week 1 as a projected starter for the first time in his career.
After a successful stint filling in for Rob Havenstein last season, McClendon will be a cog in the offensive line this year. He'll be responsible for blocking the front side at right tackle, keeping Matthew Stafford upright and creating big holes for both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum.
McClendon enters the year as the Rams' 14th-most important player in our 2026 rankings.
Puka Nacua, Byron Young and Kobie Turner get all of the attention as the headliners from the Rams' 2023 draft class, but McClendon was also part of that group – and he was actually drafted three spots earlier than Nacua, so Los Angeles felt more strongly about him and than the former BYU receiver.
As the 174th overall pick in the fifth round, McClendon took his talents from Georgia to Los Angeles and though he was a backup for his first two seasons, he became a starter in 2025 after Havenstein got hurt.

The Los Angeles Rams have built their roster with a plethora of versatile players who contribute on offense, defense and/or special teams. As a result, the team has been able to weather slow starts, injuries, and other setbacks over the last three seasons, being one of the most successful franchises in football over that time.
A big reason for their success has been Kyren Williams. Despite taking on three separate roles over the last three seasons, the Rams running back remains a successful ball carrier, pass catcher, and pass protector. It's that versatility that makes him such a success in fantasy football, despite his ever-changing responsibilities. NBC Sports' Kyle Dvorchak states that despite a decreased workload as a ball carrier, his fantasy production remained consistent compared to years past.
Kyren Williams chugged along like usual, posting 15.5 PPR points per game off the back of over 1,500 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns. Williams finished the year as a low-end RB1, though his role changed drastically compared to 2024.
Despite losing a considerable amount of work to Blake Corum, Williams’ fantasy output barely dropped. That comes down to the fact that his efficiency both on the ground and through the air ticked up. The concern for Williams is that he either continues to lose work to Corum or his yards per carry dips, as it did in 2024 when he averaged 4.1 yards per attempt.
With Corum set to have an even larger role, especially with the Rams' 13-personnel offense becoming an even bigger part of their operation, some could have concerns that 2026 could be the year Williams fails to reach 1,000 rushing yards or takes a dramatic fall in fantasy production.

The Seattle Seahawks underwent significant changes at running back this offseason. They lost Super Bowl 60 MVP Kenneth Walker III to free agency and replaced him by drafting Jadarian Price. The NFC West has some very competitive backfields throughout the division. Heading into the 2026 NFL season, we've ranked all four backfields in the division from best to worst.
A healthy Christian McCaffrey is still arguably the best running back in the league. The dual-threat playmaker has been a cheat code for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. When available, McCaffrey is an annual Offensive Player of the Year candidate.
The rebuilding Arizona Cardinals wouldn't rank highly on most division-based lists, but their running back room is undeniably in good shape. Veteran James Conner is still impactful. The Cardinals drafted Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 overall. Love was arguably the best overall prospect in the 2026 NFL draft. Before drafting him, they also signed Tyler Allgeier in free agency. This backfield has three-headed monster potential.
Kyren Williams has firmly established himself as a top-10 back in the NFL. The former Notre Dame standout has rushed for 1,000+ yards in three straight seasons. Blake Corum rushed for 746 yards and six touchdowns last year, proving he's one of the better handcuffs in the NFL.
The unknown factor surrounding the Seahawks' backfield has them currently ranking last in the division. Will Jadarian Price be an effective rookie? When will Zach Charbonnet be healthy and available? How involved will George Holani be? The Seahawks have questions at running back heading into camp.

Kyren Williams is still viewed as the Los Angeles Rams’ No. 1 running back, but Blake Corum cut into his workload significantly last year and proved to be a terrific No. 2 option. Heading into 2026, the split between the two running backs is expected to be closer to 50-50, giving the Rams one of the best backfield tandems in football.
Corum told Stu Jackson of TheRams.com that he’s “in the best shape (he’s) been in” after working his “tail off” all offseason, and it shows. A new video of Corum working out is going viral on social media because of how impressive his footwork is.
His balance has always been a strength, especially with his lower center of gravity, but these drills are insane.
Fans were understandably blown away by Corum's footwork, reacting to the video on X.
If Williams is the Rams' thunder, Corum can be their lightning with how quick and agile he is. He brought a spark to the offense last season with his speed and explosiveness. Of his 145 carries last season, 10 of them went for at least 15 yards, with a long of 48 yards.

As a former fifth-round pick, just making three NFL Top-100 lists in his career is already a huge accomplishment for Rams running back Kyren Williams, and a clear indication of his value to Sean McVay. However, for the second year in a row, Williams is lower on the list than he was the previous season.
Williams came in at 89th on the latest 2026 edition of the NFL Top-100, falling from 78th in 2024 and 85th in 2025.
They don’t come more consistent than Williams. Across his three seasons as the Rams’ lead ball-carrier, he’s never finished outside 1,100-1,300 rushing yards, 13-16 total touchdowns or 32-36 receptions. Los Angeles can seemingly pencil in a certain amount of production each year from the tough-running Williams, whose boost in efficiency last season made up for splitting more carries with Blake Corum. He fittingly falls in the Top 100 near the same range he’s been, debuting at 78 in 2024, ending up 85th last season and now landing at 89.
The 26 year old back going into his fifth NFL season is entering the first year of the three-year, $33 million extension that he signed with the Rams in 2025.
Williams carries a cap hit just shy of $13 million next season.

It has been a while, but it is the conclusion of another NFL offseason weekend. It is time to take a look around the NFC West to see what is going on with the Arizona Cardinals' division rivals.
What is new with the Los Angeles Rams?
Below are a few stories from the last week about the Rams for Cardinals fans to know about.
Last year, the Cardinals hoped that Trey Benson would have a productive season. This year, the Rams potentially could get what the Cardinals wanted from Benson out of running back Blake Corum.
McVay canceled mandatory minicamp. He was pleased with their offseason work. This is one reason why players love playing for him.