Should Rams consider Jonathan Stewart to backup Todd Gurley?

With the Carolina Panthers releasing Jonathan Stewart on Wednesday, should the Los Angeles Rams consider the veteran as a backup to Todd Gurley?

As Sean McVay and the Long Angeles Rams prepare for this weekend’s NFL Combine, the team has plenty of other tasks to consider over the next few weeks since the beginning of free agency is right around the corner. Not only do the Rams have plenty of questions to answer for members of their own team ranging from Sammy Watkins to Lamarcus Joyner, but there will be plenty of potential players to pursuit in the open market once free agency is officially underway.

From cornerback to the offensive line, Los Angeles has plenty of areas to focus on improving over the next month or so to help fill a few needs before the 2018 regular season officially gets underway. And even though the running back position isn’t a top priority since Todd Gurley is coming off his best season in which he finished second to Tom Brady in the MVP voting, the one player who has all of a sudden become available that may be worth considering is Jonathan Stewart.

On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers made the tough decision to part ways with their former veteran running back after 10 seasons, but when considering that Stewart will be 31 by the start of next season, the move really isn’t all that surprising since it’s going to clear up a little cap space. Even if Stewart is leaving the Panthers as the team’s all-time rusher, the fact that he’s coming off a 2017 season in which he rushed for just 680 yards is just one of a few examples as to why the team was willing to move on.

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Now, the question becomes which teams express interest in bringing Stewart on board for next season in what will most likely be a backup role since the chances of him earning a starting role for a running back his age seems highly unlikely as a backup. But if Stewart were to join a team like the Rams in which he would have a limited role playing behind Gurley to fill in when needed, this is a move that seems like it would benefit both parties, especially if Malcolm Brown ends up elsewhere.

Plus, at this stage in his career, there’s a good chance Stewart will hope to be joining a team with a legitimate shot at competing for the Super Bowl, which describes Los Angeles perfectly. After an early exit from the playoffs in January, the Rams will hopefully use that experience as motivation to make sure it doesn’t happen again, with or without Stewart.