Todd Gurley was the St. Louis Rams’ first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and is still getting back to 100 percent after tearing his ACL last year in college with the Georgia Bulldogs. There has been hope in the Rams’ organization that he can get back in time for Week 1, but there is also quite a bit of hesitation to play him that early. Gurley is taking huge strides in his recovery, and reportedly practiced with the first team offense Tuesday evening.
#Rams off the practice field Tuesday night. RB Todd Gurley (knee) got his first taste of team drills, worked on occasion with first unit.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) August 25, 2015
Needless to say, that is huge news for Gurley and the Rams looking ahead with the season opener coming up quickly.
There is no question that Gurley could completely change the Rams’ season if he can get back to full health. He is one of the most dominant running backs to come through college football in quite some time, and would have been a Heisman Trophy candidate if he hadn’t gotten hurt and in trouble off-the-field. That is in the past and he is focused on becoming one of the best NFL running backs.
During the 2014 season at Georgia, Gurley ended up rushing for 911 yards and nine touchdowns on just 123 carries. Those numbers average out to being an impressive 7.4 yards per carry.
Coming out of college, many scouts compared him to either Marshawn Lynch or Adrian Peterson. That type of comparison bodes well for his NFL future, and many expect him to end up being an absolute star. St. Louis also acquired quarterback Nick Foles from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this offseason, which gives them a completely new quarterback and running back tandem to build around.
Gurley definitely has the size and speed combination to be an extremely dangerous three-down back for the Rams. That is exactly what they have needed over the past couple seasons, and while Tre Mason made some solid plays last year, he simply doesn’t have the potential that Gurley brings to the table.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see whether or not the Rams have Gurley on-the-field when Week 1 rolls around. He would certainly be an immediate difference maker for them, but they can’t afford to rush him back. If he is 100 percent at the time the season kicks off, then they should play him.
Expect to hear the media cover Gurley very closely over the course of the next couple weeks, and to know fairly soon what type of percentage he has to play.
