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Todd Gurley went from being the top running back in the league to being released into free agency in two short years. The Los Angeles Rams announced the move Thursday afternoon.
This is the life of an NFL running back now. The Rams couldn’t find a trade partner for Gurley and instead of paying him $10 million due on his contract, they decided to release him. He will land with a new team, but on a cheaper and shorter contract.
The Rams currently have Malcolm Brown, John Kelly and Darrell Henderson at running back. The combo of Brown and Henderson could get the job done, with Henderson as the player with the most fantasy upside. L.A. could still add to their backfield, but it looks like Henderson should get a chance to shine in Sean McVay’s offense. He will likely be on a lot of “sleeper” lists for the 2020 fantasy football season.
Gurley still has some gas in the tank, but the gas gauge isn’t working well enough for anyone to take a big risk on him. A one or two year contract with incentives might get him on your team at this point due to his arthritic knee.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had been bandied about as a trade partner, so, now that they can likely get him at a cheaper price, he could be a Buccaneer sooner than later. Of course, other teams might be in on him now at a cheaper price, along with Melvin Gordon, who has also been mentioned for the Bucs.