Expect Seahawks to Explore Signing RB Todd Gurley
Making one of the most shocking moves in recent memory, the Rams chose to cut former MVP finalist Todd Gurley on Thursday just two years after giving him a four-year $60 million extension.
Gurley, who rushed for a career-low 857 rushing yards and caught just 31 passes while seeing diminished snaps last season, was due an additional $10.5 million in guaranteed money. After failing to find a trade partner willing to absorb his contract, the team decided to cut him less than an hour before his guarantee kicked in and take a massive dead cap hit over the next two years.
Once one of the most dynamic play makers in the NFL, the 25-year old Gurley now finds himself at a career crossroads with an arthritic left knee and it remains to be seen what his market will look like as he pursues his next opportunity.
Interestingly, mere hours after his release became public, the Seahawks have already been linked to their formal division rival. As crazy as the notion of Gurley playing in blue and green may seem initially, it could be a logical fit for both the player and team.
Though Gurley missed out on his $10.5 million guarantee, he's still going to earn close to $8 million in 2020 for not playing for the Rams. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the thought of sticking it to his former team twice a year while playing for the Seahawks would be enticing.
"It sounds like he wants a chance to prove he's still got it," Rapoport said.
Seattle's apparent interest shouldn't come as a surprise, as Gurley was general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll's No. 1 overall prospect on their big board back in 2015. Then the St. Louis Rams, Jeff Fisher's squad picked him 10th overall and he won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
While Gurley isn't near the player he once was - the Rams wouldn't have released him if they thought he could still produce 2,000 yards from scrimmage as he did in 2017 - there's plenty of evidence to suggest he could still be an effective weapon in a by-committee backfield for the Seahawks.
Though his yards per carry dipped to 3.8 last year, Gurley ran behind a struggling offensive line with several new starters in the lineup and still produced 12 rushing touchdowns. WIth quarterback Jared Goff struggling much of the year, his mediocre receiving numbers can't be solely attributed to the running back either.
With Rashaad Penny's status coming back from a torn ACL uncertain, Gurley could step in right away alongside starter Chris Carson and would bring a different dimension to the offense with his receiving skills. He wouldn't be asked to be the feature back and his production could benefit from a smaller workload that keeps his legs fresh.
Once Penny returns, Seattle would easily have one of the most dangerous trios of backs in the entire NFL and second-year back Travis Homer would provide even more depth behind them in case of injuries.
Given the reported state of his knee, any interested team will want Gurley to go through an extensive physical with their own doctors. Right now, that won't be feasible with the NFL restricting travel due to the coronavirus outbreak, meaning it could be a while before he finds a landing spot.
Aside from checking in on his health, teams such as the Seahawks that may have interest also must understand what they are signing. If you're hoping for him to return to his prior All-Pro form, you're only going to see that in flashes at this stage as he did last year.
Still, depending on how his knee checks out, assuming he will take a deal near league minimum, there's no harm in Schneider picking up the phone and contacting Gurley's agent. Even if he's not the same player who was once the top prospect on Seattle's draft board, he may still have enough value as a runner and receiver to be a difference maker next season.
