Once upon a time, Todd Gurley was one of the most explosive feature backs in the NFL. Gurley was named First Team All-Pro in both 2017 and 2018, going for over 2,000 yards from scrimmage in 2017 and leading the league in total touchdowns in each of those two seasons.
However, injuries began to hamper Gurley's explosiveness at the end of the 2018 season, resulting in a 2019 in which he had his fewest yards from scrimmage (1,064).
The Atlanta Falcons pounced at the opportunity to sign Gurley after he was released by the Los Angeles Rams, but general manager Thomas Dimitroff iterated the Falcons are unlikely to entrust him with a heavy workload in 2020 (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk):
“I think Todd is explosive,’ Dimitroff said. “I think Todd can still tote the rock very, very well, and he’s going to be a big-time playmaker, I believe. He has the ability to do that. I think we have a group of running backs that can contribute. I am a big believer that it’s not just about one person running all the runs, of course. We’re a big mix-up team. We think that’s a very important part of making sure we rotate our guys through there. They all come to the table with different positives and different traits, of course. I’m a big believer in making sure that you have the mix.”
Gurley still figures to be an upgrade over Devonta Freeman in the Falcons backfield.
The 25-year-old can make plays in the running and passing games while offering some protection for Matt Ryan. But the Falcons still seem intent on using all of the backs at their disposal.
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