St. Louis Rams position battles: A closer look at the running back competition

One of the most interesting battles in camp for the Rams will revolve around the running back position. Which is a big difference from prior years when All-Pro Steven Jackson was the starter. The Rams don't have Jackson anymore, but this season the Rams will run the ball early and often with Zac Stacy and a powerful offensive line that is ready to smash into defenders. These running backs will be expected to perform well.

The Starters

When the Rams drafted Stacy last season no one expected him to become a full time starter during his rookie season. Stacy didn't start the season, but when he was given a chance to play he shined. The Rams decided that he would be the key to their offense.

Heading into training camp Stacy is numero uno. Stacy is coming off of a year where he almost rushed for 1,000 yards. This year the workhorse should be more of a factor for the Rams early in the season, especially with quarterback Sam Bradford returning from injury.

Will the real backup please rush up

The Rams drafted Tre Mason in the third round and expectations are high for him. In fact some people think that he could replace Stacy as the starter. Now, could he replace Stacy? Who knows, but the Rams have labeled him a change-of-pace back which just means that the Rams plan on giving him the ball. He will be competing against Benny Cunningham, the backup last season.

Who will win the battle to backup Stacy? Well it's hard not to think that Mason will get the first crack at the job, but Cunningham won't give up the spot easily.

The rest

The fourth spot on the depth chart will more than likely come down to upside and special teams. Long gone are the times when Isaiah Pead was expected to perform like a second round pick and become a starter, his role will be on special teams. Chase Reynolds will push Pead on special teams too.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Rams cancel the Pead experiment and move on during the preseason.