A little over a year ago, the Los Angeles Rams were in the Super Bowl and had one of the top offenses in the league. Then the Rams only scored three points and everything went downhill after that so now they’re looking to make changes with minimal cap space.
One of those changes was the Rams releasing running back Todd Gurley.
Gurley was set to be paid $10.5 million in guaranteed money if he were to remain with the Rams after 4:00 PM ET. Obviously, the Rams were willing to trade Gurley and get something out of the deal but considering Gurley was getting a four-year/$57.5 million deal, it was difficult to find another team to take on that deal.
Gurley was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 when he amassed 1,305 yards and 13 touchdowns. In Gurley’s first four seasons, he averaged 1,137 yards and 11.5 touchdowns per season, which was why he got his big contract. But after it was revealed that Gurley had arthritis in his knee and a lackluster 857 yard season, the Rams felt the need for a change.
That wasn’t the only move the Rams made. Just minutes after announcing Gurley’s release, the Rams also released linebacker Clay Matthews. Just as quickly as the Rams became a contender, they seemed to fall back down to earth. They will be hoping that they can make it back to Super Bowl contention just as quickly.
UPDATE: Gurley didn’t stay on the market very long. According to multiple reports, he has signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons. Gurley returns to the region where he became a top NFL prospect, starring for three years at Georgia.
Even with his diminished numbers last season, Gurley looks like an upgrade for the Falcons at running back. His 857 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns are more than any Atlanta player had at that position. (Devonta Freeman led the Falcons with 656 rushing yards and two scores, though he compiled more receiving yards than Gurley, 410 to 207.)