NFL Rumors: Todd Gurley ‘Likelier Than Not To Be Traded’ By Rams In Offseason, Per ESPN
Given his disappointing 2019 campaign where he saw his numbers decline from the previous two seasons, recent rumors suggest that Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley might soon be headed elsewhere in the 2020 offseason.
Quoting a report from ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Bleacher Report wrote on Wednesday that Gurley is “likelier than not to be traded” by the Rams, five years after he was picked 10th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft and less than two years after he combined for 40 total touchdowns in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. No details were provided on the running back’s potential destinations, though the publication highlighted how both Gurley and the Rams struggled in the 2019 season after making the Super Bowl in February of that year.
Playing for a 9-7 Rams team that finished third behind the conference champion San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West division, Gurley had an impressive 12 rushing touchdowns for Los Angeles in the 2019 season, per Pro Football Reference. He did, however, rush for just 857 yards and 3.8 yards per carry — a steep decline from his 2018 numbers despite the fact he missed just one regular-season game. The former Georgia Bulldogs star is set to enter the third year of a four-year, $60 million contract extension he signed in 2018.
Todd Gurley is being brought up in trade talks, and the Rams “may be ready to move on,” per @MikeSilver pic.twitter.com/mk8g6fUHCi
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) March 16, 2020
Although this isn’t the first time this year that trade rumors have swirled around Gurley, the 25-year-old also faces the possibility of getting released if the Rams aren’t able to find a suitable trade partner, according to CBS Sports.
“The Rams have paid some other guys and want to move forward without him,” NFL.com’s Mike Silver recently speculated, as quoted by the outlet. “They may cut him if they can’t find a trading partner when all is said and done.”
Additionally, Bleacher Report quoted a December 22 report from Silver, who wrote that Gurley’s “high salary and declining production” could force Los Angeles to move from him and “other key players.” He stressed that the Rams appear committed to building around two players in particular — quarterback Jared Goff and defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
It’s still not clear what the Rams could expect if they decide to trade Gurley to another team. Moving him, however, could potentially change the prospects of a team that doesn’t just have the 49ers and Seahawks to deal with in its division. As noted by Bleacher Report, the Arizona Cardinals substantially upgraded their roster earlier this month by trading for standout wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who will be catching passes from 2019 first-overall draft pick Kyler Murray once the new season begins.
