Can St Louis Rams’ Todd Gurley help the passing game?

In the aftermath of the recent NFL draft, the intentions for the St Louis Rams offense became crystal clear – shore up the porous offensive line with a bunch of mid-round bruisers and pound opposing defences with the relentless running back tandem of sophomore Tre Mason and 2015 first round pick Todd Gurley.

While some (myself initially included) reacted negatively to the selection at number 10 of Todd Gurley – not least Zac Stacy, who was promptly traded to the New York Jets – many fans and commentators thought the addition of the Georgia star was a great move for the Rams.

Compared pre-draft by Frank Tarkenton to the great Jim Brown, Gurley’s average of 6.5 yards per carry and a total of 36 touchdowns in three seasons has many Rams fans salivating at what he can achieve in the NFL behind a young but improved offensive line.

However, as with many running backs there is one aspect of Gurley’s game that is often overlooked and under-discussed – his contribution in pass blocking. As much as the Rams are expected to be a run-first team, we should not forget the addition of quarterback Nick Foles to the roster as a massive upgrade in the passing game from Austin Davis and Shaun Hill last year – as well as the key retention of free agent wide receiver Kenny Britt, the return from injury of Brian Quick and potential breakout star Tavon Austin.

In 2014, Zac Stacy’s productivity not only fell off massively in terms of rushing yards, but according to Pro Football Focus his pass block grading also fell to just +0.6 compared with +2.3 in 2013. This can only have contributed to the decision by Jeff Fisher and Les Snead to trade him away.

Clearly Gurley will need to run the ball effectively when called upon to do so, and there is nothing to suggest he cannot do exactly that. But a reliable running game also brings in play action, which brought Sam Bradford success through the air in the early weeks of the 2013 season.

The contribution of then leading rusher Stacy in pass blocking was undoubtedly a factor in that success before Bradford’s knee gave out. For Nick Foles to have similar results in 2015, he too will need his running backs to help keep him upright as he targets Britt and company – and that means Gurley will need to weigh in from the early weeks of the season.

So does Gurley have what it takes to help out in pass blocking? With a large frame at 6’ 1” he certainly has the size to impede a blitzing linebacker, arguably more so than Zac Stacy (5’ 9”), Benny Cunningham (5’ 10”) or Tre Mason (5’ 8”).

His natural agility, ability to change direction and rapidly adjust to variations in opposing defensive formations also suggests he should be able to pick up the pass rush. As Bleacher Report’s Matt Bowen put it in March, “Having played in a pro-style offense in Georgia, Gurley has been coached up in pass protection…That’s key to making the transition and staying on the field in the NFL during critical game situations.”

If that prediction comes true and Gurley is able to perform at NFL level in pass protection as well with his running game, then there can be no doubt that the Rams were fully justified in selecting him at number 10 overall. In a few months we will see if he really can do what he was drafted for.