The Los Angeles Rams made headlines this past week when they decided to part ways with star running back Todd Gurley. The move came as a surprise as Gurley was inked to a four-year extension prior to the 2018 NFL season, but now finds himself off the roster less than two years later.
The extension at the time was not egregious as Gurley was coming off an amazing 2017 NFL season where he amassed 1,305 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns to go along with 64 receptions for 788 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. His efforts helped him win the 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award and prompted the Rams front office to reward him with a rich four-year, $60 million extension with $45 million in guarantees.
Gurley picked up where he left off during the 2018 NFL season, showing the same burst and speed he became known for but a knee injury derailed the remainder of his season as he was no longer the same bell cow for a Rams offenses that leaned on him so much.
His sparing usage in the 2018 NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl LIII raised serious red flags about his overall health and that manifested itself during the 2019 NFL season where he was game managed on a weekly basis. His lackluster performance coupled with questions about his knee forced the front office to explore trades in the offseason and when a deal could not be made he was ultimately released.
From a salary cap perspective, this is a blow for the Rams as Gurley’s contract results in a $20.15 million in dead money this year with another $8 million in 2021. However, the timing of his release did save the team $10 million in guaranteed money as they will save $5.5 million this season and roughly $4.8 million to $7.35 million the following season.
That immediate cap relief will be useful in rounding out the roster, with several holes still needed to filled on the defensive side of the field with key players like Eric Weddle, Corey Littleton, Clay Matthews and Michael Brockers gone. The Rams also need to be mindful about contract extensions for Jalen Ramsey, as well as Cooper Kupp and John Johnson III.
As far as the Rams’ current running back depth chart goes, Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown should be expected to split the workload during the 2020 NFL season, but a veteran free agent signing is not out of the question. There is also the 2020 NFL Draft as the team could look for a running back to round out the rotation either on Day 2 or Day 3.
Gurley’s extension will be a lesson for the Rams and the rest of the league on how to value paying running backs, but Los Angeles now at least has some clarity about its roster going forward.
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