The Los Angeles Rams are coming off of a 2018 campaign in which they won 13 games and made it all the way to the Super Bowl before falling to the New England Patriots.
Obviously, there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the Rams heading into 2019. They have a brilliant head coach, a good young quarterback, an incredibly talented group of receivers and a defense that should be improved from a year ago.
But in spite of all of that, there is one big elephant in the room, and that is the status of Todd Gurley's knee.
Gurley injured his knee in Week 15 of last season and missed the final two games of the regular season. He returned for the Divisional Round of the playoffs and looked like his old self, racking up 115 yards and a couple of touchdowns, but virtual no-shows in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl had many wondering just how healthy he was.
The 25-year-old has been very tight-lipped about his knee this offseason, which has only further exacerbated that concern.
Los Angeles even seems a bit worried about Gurley moving forward, as we have heard rumblings that the Rams plan on reducing his workload going forward, and them drafting running back Darrell Henderson in the third round is an indication that that may happen.
Which brings us to Henderson.
The University of Memphis product is coming off of a fantastic junior campaign in which he totaled 1,909 yards and 22 touchdowns while averaging 8.9 yards per carry.
Say whatever you want about Memphis' competition being weak, but that is a tremendous season regardless of whom Henderson was going up against.
Now, he will get his first meaningful NFL action, as the Rams will take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 this Sunday.
Let me just say this: none of us really know how Gurley is feeling, but it seems somewhat doubtful that Los Angeles is going to have him shoulder a big load in the season opener.
The Rams will probably ease Gurley back into things, and if they are trying to cut his carries, they are not going to have him come busting out of the gate with a high-volume outing in Week 1.
That means Henderson may end up getting a fair amount of burn in this game, and if he is able to run the ball efficiently and prolong some drives for Los Angeles, the Panthers are going to be in some deep trouble.
It should be noted that Henderson did not have a great preseason, so Malcolm Brown may also get some touches, but it's not like the preseason provided us with a great sample size for the rookie.
I don't think a few lackluster preseason games will deter Sean McVay from giving Henderson an opportunity.
We know how lethal the Rams' offense already is, so just imagine how much better it will be if Henderson steps in and provides the team with a lift while it is trying to protect Gurley?
I'm not saying Henderson will break out for 100 yards or anything like that, but it would not shock me if he is able to pick up 50 yards and a touchdown.
Any big performances for Henderson will pay huge dividends for the Rams long term, as it will allow them to preserve Gurley that much more.
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