5 Reasons Todd Gurley Will Bounce Back For Los Angeles Rams in 2017

5. Less Pressure With Lance Dunbar

Now that Benny Cunningham is officially out of the picture, the Los Angeles Rams knew the importance of adding another running back in free agency to compliment Todd Gurley in the backfield next season. Not only did the team make a solid addition with the signing of former Dallas Cowboys running back Lance Dunbar, but the Rams took the safe approach by only bringing him on board for a one-year deal.

Unfortunately for Dunbar, the new Rams running back suffered a devastating knee injury at the beginning of the 2015 season that has prevented him from shining on offense over the last two seasons. The Cowboys obviously played it smart by bringing Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris on board for the 2016 season, but these key additions hurt Dunbar’s production, as he was limited to only receiving nine carries in the 13 games he suited up for.

All that will change for Dunbar now that he’s a member of the Rams since his presence will help take some of the pressure off Gurley in the backfield. Not only will Los Angeles most likely lean towards using Dunbar on key third-down situations, but also the argument can be made that he will turn out to be more dangerous as a receiver when Jared Goff quickly needs to dump the football off.

The signing of Dunbar may not have been as exciting as some of the other big moves made in free agency, but there’s every reason to believe Gurley will benefit the most from having him as a solid No. 2 running back.