Tag: los angeles rams news

Potential destinations for Georgia great Todd Gurley if traded by Rams

Some potential destinations if the Los Angeles Rams trade former Georgia football RB Todd Gurley during NFL free agency.

Former Georgia running back Todd Gurley has reportedly had his name floated around in trade talks by the Los Angeles Rams recently.

Michael Silver was the first to report the news of the trade talks.

Gurley is two years into a contract with the Los Angeles Rams that included a $21 million signing bonus and $45 million in guarantees. With reduced production and a substantial contract, it is not shocking that Todd Gurley is frequently brought up in NFL trade talks.

Silver added to his report, noting the Rams are seeking a draft pick in return if they do trade the two-time All-Pro running back — the pick would be something in the range of the second to fourth round.

Then there’s the option to flat-out cut Gurley, but Silver mentioned how difficult that would be given his $20.15 million dead cap hit if he were to be released.

Gurley is meant for Los Angeles and it’s a shame his knee injury is holding him back from being the superstar running back he was early in his career.

However, Gurley, 25, still has plenty of gas left in the tank and continued to show flashes of brilliance last season on the Rams.

Cameron DaSilva at RamsWire took a look at where Gurley may end up if a trade is put in place.

RamsWire noted the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Bucs and Denver Broncos would seem to be potential trade partners for Gurley and the Rams.

DaSilva on why the Dolphins would be an ideal trade partner:

They’re in a complete rebuild and while it might seem counterproductive to trade for someone like Gurley, it would give them a player for fans to get excited about. They have $70.75 million in cap space right now and five picks in the first three rounds, so trade ammo isn’t a question.

There isn’t a team that makes more sense for Gurley than the Dolphins. They could part ways with their third- and fourth-round picks and still have plenty of assets for their rebuild.

For what it’s worth, Gurley already vacations in Miami often. Also, I cannot picture him anywhere other than a big-market team in a big-time city like Miami, New York or Los Angeles.

On the Broncos, DaSilva discussed Denver’s three third-round draft picks and how the team will likely be looking for a new running back via free agency or the draft. Would two third-round picks be enough to get Gurley to Denver?

Click here to see what DaSilva had to say about Gurley going to the Bucs.

Report: Rams discussing trading RB Todd Gurley

Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley may be on the trade block this off-season. Will the former Georgia Bulldog be traded?

Todd Gurley is one the best running backs in the National Football League when he’s 100% healthy. Unfortunately for the Georgia Bulldog great, that pesky knee of Gurley’s has caused him issues, hindering his production and limiting his workload. In 2019, Gurley had career-lows in rushing yards (857) and attempts (223).

Gurley is two years into a contract with the Los Angeles Rams that included a $21 million signing bonus and $45 million in guarantees. With reduced production and a substantial contract, it is not shocking that Todd Gurley is frequently brought up in NFL trade talks according to Michael Silver:

A year after making the Super Bowl, Los Angeles floundered to a 9-7 record. Head coach Sean McVay and the Rams are looking to improve, but they must get creative since they have limited draft capital and around $20 million dollars in cap room.

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Gurley, if cut right now, would count $20.15 million in dead money. So that’s no an option for L.A..

Los Angeles may have trouble finding a destination for Gurley. Stranger things have happened. Just ask Texans fans. Anything can happen in the NFL off-season (evidence below):

Running backs are still worth something to Houston coach/general manager Bill O’Brien.

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Two former Georgia football players/coaches leave South Carolina for NFL

Two former Georgia football players and coaches have left South Carolina to coach in the NFL.

Two coaches are leaving the South Carolina program to take NFL coaching jobs.

Both of those coaches happen to be guys who played and coached at the University of Georgia.

Thomas Brown, who played running back at Georgia from 2004-07, has joined the Los Angeles Rams staff as the running backs coach, where he will coach former Dawg Todd Gurley.

Related: Thomas Brown hired to Rams

And Bryan McClendon, who caught passes in Athens from 2002-05, will be joining the Steelers staff as receivers coach.

Related: Report: Former Georgia WR Bryan McClendon hired to Steelers

After their collegiate playing careers, both players returned to Georgia to coach shortly after testing out the NFL.

McClendon coached the running backs and receivers in Athens from 2009-2015, after spending two seasons as a grad assistant at Georgia.

Brown coached at Georgia in 2011 as a strength coach and then came back in 2015 to coach the running backs, which at the time was Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.

Both ended up on the same staff at South Carolina under none other than former Georgia defensive back Will Muschamp, who is head coach of the Gamecocks.

Georgia ties run deep.

Two former Georgia football running backs team up on LA Rams

The Los Angeles Rams have hired another former Georgia football running back to help improve the teams’ ball carrier position.

The Los Angeles Rams have added another former Georgia running back, but this time as a member of the coaching staff.

Thomas Brown, who played running back at Georgia from 2004-07, has been hired by the Rams to coach the running backs in Los Angeles.

That includes Todd Gurley, Georgia’s superstar back from 2012-14.

Brown last worked as South Carolina’s running backs coach in 2019 and was also Miami’s offensive coordinator from 2016-2018.

In 2015, he was Georgia’s running backs coach as well, one year after Gurley left for the NFL.

Though Brown never coached Gurley in Athens, the two of them are close friends, said Bruce Feldman, who first reported the news.

Both coached by Mark Richt, Brown (4 seasons) and Gurley (3 seasons) are two of the best backs to wear the red and black this century. During Brown’s career, he rushed for 2,646 yards and 23 touchdowns on 529 touches. Gurley’s career saw him rush for 3,285 yards on 510 carries. He also added 36 touchdowns.

Report: Rams to meet with former Georgia football RB Todd Gurley to discuss future

The LA Rams are reportedly set to meet with Georgia football great Todd Gurley to discuss the UGA product’s future.

Todd Gurley, when healthy, may be the best running back in the National Football League. Unfortunately, that knee of Gurley’s have caused him problems over the last year, hindering his production and touches greatly. Last season, Gurley had career-lows in rushing yards (857) and attempts (223).

Currently, Gurley is two years into a contract that that included a $21 million signing bonus and $45 million in guarantees.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, before the next set of contract guarantees lock in for Gurley, the Rams want to meet with the former Georgia running back to discuss the future.

“From what I am told, what the Rams want to do—and what coach Sean McVay specifically wants to do—is sit down with Gurley before any decision was made,” Rapoport said Thursday on “NFL NOW.” “So that’s probably going to happen before they decide how are they going to proceed with someone who at times has been the best running back in the NFL.

Obviously this is not a simple decision. Cutting him just to save cash would be something that, while theoretically possible, cap-wise would be extremely difficult, more than $10M in a salary-cap hit just for releasing him and if they did it before June 1 it would be astronomical.”

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Gurley, if cut outright right now, would count $20.15 million in dead money.

Then there’s the idea of a trade, which NFL.com outlined here:

Perhaps they could find a trade partner with excess cap space willing to take a flier on a great player who has dealt with injury issues (and the Rams would probably have to pay a pick to unload the deal). But, as Pelissero pointed out, any trade would likely need to be made before the March roster bonus kicks in.

What will likely happen is the Rams will hold onto their superstar running back. It’s on them to figure out how to use him better.

Todd Gurley not a fan of his recent play being labeled ‘vintage’

Georgia football great and LA Rams superstar RB Todd Gurley is not a fan of his play being called “vintage Todd” by his QB Jared Goff.

The Los Angeles Rams have been doing what they should have done for the past year: feeding their all-pro running back.

Todd Gurley’s knee and his lack of playing time has been one of the most talked about head-scratchers since the Rams’ Super Bowl loss to the Patriots where Gurley was basically irrelevant.

This season, Gurley has been used, but significantly less than one would expect from a player of his caliber.

Until recently, that is. The past few weeks, head coach Sean McVay has been feeding his workhorse the rock and letting Gurley get after it. When healthy, there may not be anybody better at carrying the football than the Georgia great.

Last week, in a win over the Seattle Seahawks, Gurley scored a touchdown that featured an absolutely nasty stiff arm.

When referencing Gurley’s recent level of play and when discussing the above stiff arm, Rams quarterback Jared Goff referred to the run as “vintage Todd.”

That did not sit well with Gurley.

“Sounds like I suck and then made a good play,” Gurley said when mentioning the “vintage” label. “Not my first time stiff-arming nobody. Just a regular stiff-arm.”

Also, since Gurley has seen decreased playing time, he has been nothing but cool about it in the media. He would often make remarks noting that it’s a team sport and that the best players play.

From this quote below, I sense he’s done with that.

He knows what he’s capable of and he knows the team benefits when he touches the ball 25 times a game.

“You don’t really have to explain too much,” Gurley said, via Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times. “You see the results over the last couple of years, when you’re running the ball, stuff is going well, stuff is opening up, so it’s like, not too much really to explain.”

For McVay, if he wants any shot at making the playoffs this season, a goal they are close to accomplishing, he knows what needs to be done.

Prepare for big Gurley numbers down the stretch.