St. Louis Rams Taking Their Time With Todd Gurley
Aug 1, 2015; Earth City, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) at Rams Park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
When at the University of Georgia, running back Todd Gurley drew comparisons to a young Adrian Peterson. Back in 2012, Peterson rushed for over 2,000 yards just eight months after tearing his ACL. Gurley is now coming with the same injury and time frame but the St, Louis Rams aren’t too eager to see how much Peterson Gurley has in him.
It looks like Gurley won’t be playing in any preseason games and likely won’t be on the field in Week 1. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport wrote in a report from training camp, ” He’s so athletic that even when he’s rated at 90 percent on a surgically repaired knee, he looks 100 percent. But make no mistake, Gurley isn’t ready yet. He won’t play in the preseason. I’m told the Rams don’t even expect him to be ready for the season.
“They believe he’ll miss the first couple games, not wanting to risk injury until he’s ready. The ligament is strong, but the area around it isn’t there yet. With so much invested in a player compared to a young Peterson, St. Louis will be cautious. But the future is so bright for Gurley, team personnel can barely contain themselves.”
Meanwhile, Tre Mason is a good back that will be able to handle the load until Gurley is ready. There is absolutely no reason to try to rush anything when you have a guy like Mason on your team. Add the quarterback Nick Foles to the mix with that defense and the Rams are legitimate challenger to Seattle Seahawks in the tough NFC West.
So if you’re a Rams fan, patience is a real important virtue here because what you’re getting could push your Rams over the top. Getting Gurley back at midseason at 100 percent with fresh legs would be perfect for the Rams if they can at least keep it close until then.