Mark J. Terrill/Connected Press
Todd Gurley has so a lot to expose as he begins his tenure with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020.
The former Los Angeles Rams running relieve has been the subject of masses of questions about how healthy his knees are and why he did no longer derive the ball extra final season.
Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter steered William McFadden of the team’s net feature that if Gurley’s knees lengthen, he shouln’t have grand agonize regaining his peak originate.
“When healthy, you would possibly well well possibly argue he’s the handiest relieve in the sport. Yeah, he’s had down years so far because the want of touches the final couple of years, nonetheless none of us in actuality know—whereas you are now no longer there, whereas you are now no longer on the within, you win now no longer in actuality know the total pretty particulars of that. Todd is telling us that he’s most realistic to glide and that he’s healthy. Whereas you review his tape from final year, he surely has times where he appears to be as most realistic as ever. The request will accurate be: How typically can he attain it? How constantly can he attain it?”
After rushing for added than 1,250 yards and 12 touchdowns in relieve-to-relieve seasons, Gurley dropped off in 2019, tallying profession lows in carries (223) and yards (857).
Extra than one components would possibly well well want contributed to that decline.
Rams head coach Sean McVay steered ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry in December that he used to be being “an idiot” practically about Gurley’s workload. Fellow running backs Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson also took away carries from him.
But Gurley’s health remains a sticking level, especially after his trainer steered CBS Sports’ Dave Richard that he has an “arthritic relate” to his surgically repaired knee.
“The predominant request is, that no one appears to know, is what’s his health space? What’s his workload?” Koetter acknowledged on a media name in mid-Could possibly. “He averaged about 17 touches a sport final year, which is a runt bit bit lower than he had been when he used to be an All-Reliable. We’re accurate gonna must obtain that out after we derive right here and derive him working, derive him up and running.”
In his comments Tuesday, Koetter elaborated on his beforehand established issues:
“I accurate judge that the times of a running relieve carrying it 30 times in a sport, I accurate win now no longer gaze that occuring grand anymore. Of us tend to now no longer esteem how grand running backs uncover a pounding in the NFL. And so, I know there is been a amount of focus on his carries being down, nonetheless he nonetheless had 15 carries a sport, plus two catches a sport. That is 17 touches out of your 64 that you will be in a position to sensible [as a team].
“I would never faux to be in a neighborhood to derive interior of Todd’s head to claim did this refresh him? But again, he’s 25 years extinct. He is been to the highest level you would possibly well well possibly glide as a running relieve on this league. All I will be able to glide by is when I’ve talked to him, he sounds very furious. … I judge he’ll be energized, nonetheless we’ll accurate must gaze how healthy he’s.”
Gurley signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Falcons this offseason, which is effectively below the market value of a three-time Reliable Bowler and 2017 Offensive Player of the twelve months.
If he can discontinue healthy in 2020 and regains his old originate, he would possibly well well show to be one among the year’s biggest free-agent steals.
