Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley is being released in a move that allows the team to avoid paying him $10.5 million in what would have been guaranteed money as of March 20, even though it will result in a $2.9 million hit against LA’s 2020 salary cap.
His arthritic knee was apparent in a visible lack of explosiveness in 2019, which is bound to rule out many RB-needy teams from showing serious interest in Gurley. Compounding the problem, teams aren’t bringing in players for physicals right now, so unless something is worked out with his local medical evaluators, Gurley may be forced to wait longer than most remaining free agents before signing.
Teams that really could use him will have to take a long look at last year’s game tape. Gurley showed his sniffer for the end zone still works, but the dynamic plays were practically non-existent, and his receiving involvement was deliberately capped. He may be forced to take a one-year or incentive-laden deal, and don’t completely discount the idea of Gurley not being signed at all before Week 1. It may seem crazy, but we don’t know what kind of money he will request vs. how teams view his market to be at this time.
Presuming no team currently views him as “the man” anymore, Gurley will be asked to share reps. His versatility allows teams to utilize him as a full-time back on limited reps, a situational rusher (goal line, for example), or a pass-catching specialist. One easily can imagine his intent is to sign with a contender, as well.
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Buffalo Bills: Gurley would be a good mentor and change of pace for the more explosive Devin Singletary. Touchdowns galore would be in Gurley’s forecast as a Bill.
Kansas City Chiefs: Gurley could give the Chiefs what they thought LeSean McCoy was capable of delivering in 2019. Complementing Damien Williams is a need, but at what price?
Detroit Lions: Pairing him with the injury-prone Kerryon Johnson is somewhat risky but isn’t outlandish for a team in dire need of a consistent rushing attack.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs could be one of the leading contenders, although Melvin Gordon is a safer option with similar upside.
Miami Dolphins: Even after signing Jordan Howard, running back remains a moderate concern for an offense craving additional weaponry.
Atlanta Falcons: This one intrigues me a fair amount. Atlanta is arguably a contender with a few breaks going its way, and the backfield needs to be addressed. Cheaper and faster is probably how it will be done, though.
Of those teams, Buffalo would be the best-case scenario for Gurley’s fantasy football prospects.
Fantasy football outlook
As mentioned, he could help PPR gamers if a team chooses to run Gurley less and throw more passes his way. It stands to reason a player of his pedigree around the stripe should be relegated to such a role, perhaps exclusively.
We can speculate six ways to Sunday, but the reality boils down to this: If last year’s Gurley is the best we’re ever going to see again from him, regardless of the team, he is physically capped at being an inconsistent RB2 whose game is overly reliant on scoring touchdowns.