Well, it’s the middle of June so I guess we should all freak out about something.
What could that something be? I don’t know. That’s a fair question. Nothing really comes to mind.
Oh crap, I forgot about Todd Gurley’s knee.
Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley continues to insist his knee isn’t a problem.
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While it’s true Gurley suffered a torn ACL at Georgia, it’s also true he wasn’t the same running back while dealing with the knee issue late last season. If this hadn’t been the case, the Rams probably wouldn’t have used a third-round pick on Memphis running back Darrell Henderson.
A few things to dissect:
First, I think it’s fair to say that Gurley wasn’t the same running back while he dealt with injury. But that’s because he was dealing with injury for, at the very least, the last quarter of the season. The physical taxation of an NFL season is unbelievable — for God’s sake, Matthew Stafford reportedly played with a broken back last year. No one is going to be the best version of themselves when injured.
Secondly, to suggest the Rams picked RB Darrell Henderson solely as Gurley’s eventual replacement likely wasn’t the case and it’s not fair to assume so. I’m not saying they took a bench-warmer that high, either.
The stable of running backs behind Gurley haven’t been blowing the doors off. RB Malcolm Brown averaged three carries a game and rushed for 212 yards in 12 games. Former Rams’ RB C.J. Anderson ran for 299 yards in a quarter of that span.
The Rams have prepared for complications by drafting Henderson and re-signing Malcolm Brown, but if Gurley cannot be L.A.’s workhorse back, the Rams offense simply isn’t going to be as dangerous as it was in 2018.
Henderson is a talented back with great speed and pass-catching abilities. He’s a great asset to have in the offense and can help lighten Gurley’s load tremendously. Same goes for Brown (although Henderson will probably be more of an asset than Brown).
Gurley doesn’t need to be a workhorse for the Rams’ offense to perform at it’s best. That’s never been the case. This offense is more pass-happy than anything else and head coach Sean McVay knows how to adapt his system to the personnel that he has, you know, like a good coach.
Gurley’s knee is concerning, but so is my weight. As long as both issues are given the proper patience and time to get things squared away, then Gurley can return to the field as a solid weapon and I can stop wearing spanks.