ESPN released an article giving one prediction for all 32 NFL teams this offseason. For the Los Angeles Rams, that prediction may be a little surprising to some.
They guessed that the Rams will attempt to trade superstar running back Todd Gurley.
The thought process behind this seems to be that they will be looking to save money, and could save quite a bit by shipping Gurley out of town. While this seems ridiculous (and there are certainly plenty of points to be made that it is ridiculous) there are a few points to be made for it as well.
First off, Gurley's contract is hefty. The running back's cap hit in 2020 is $17,250,000. That's the third most on the team. The only two ahead of him are Aaron Donald ($25,000,000) who no team would ever get rid of, and Jared Goff ($36,042,683) whose absurd contract makes him immovable.
That makes Gurley the next man up. Not only is the contract high, he's coming off a year where he averaged 3.8 yards per carry, the second lowest of his career. The 857 rushing yards were a new low, and he really wasn't all that effective or consistent in any aspect of the game.
While he's still just 25 and in his prime, injuries and poor play in 2019 may have the Rams a little worried.
Finally, Los Angeles floundered in 2019. 9-7 really isn't bad. They missed the playoffs though. And 9-7 without a postseason appearance is dreadful following a 13-3 season that saw them lose in the Super Bowl.
It could be possible that the Rams feel the need to retool, and they could feel Darrell Henderson is a strong replacement for Gurley. Shedding his contract could help them restock in other areas.
While this is still a long shot, maybe ESPN is on to something. Or maybe they are insane and the Rams should hold on tightly to one of the best running backs in football.
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