Los Angeles Rams continue building for long run after extending Todd Gurley

The Los Angeles Rams pulled out another surprise move by rewarding Todd Gurley with an extension before the start of training camp.

As the Los Angeles Rams continue to prepare for training camp this week, one of the biggest questions surrounding the team was whether Aaron Donald would receive a new deal to avoid another situation like last summer.

While the defensive superstar may still end up with a new deal this week, it looks like the Rams decided to take care of the offensive side of the football by locking up another key player for the long run in Todd Gurley.

After making the easy decision in April to exercise the running back’s fifth-year option for 2019, Los Angeles pulled off a surprise move on Tuesday by announcing that Gurley was finalizing an agreement to a four-year extension with the team.

Assuming there aren’t any setbacks, this means Gurley will be around with the Rams for the next six years, meaning the team will be in great shape to be a serious contender in the NFC for years to come.

Rams and RB Todd Gurley finalizing agreement on a 4-year extension worth $60 million that includes $45 million guaranteed that ties him to LA for the next six seasons, source tells ESPN. Finally a deal that resets the RB market.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 24, 2018

Todd Gurley’s new 4-year, $60M extension that includes $45M Gtd is the largest guarantee given to a running back, the largest per-year average for any running back, and gives other RBs such as David Johnson and Ezekiel Elliott a new benchmark.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 24, 2018

Keep in mind that it was only a few days ago in which Gurley was chiming in on the situation surrounding Le’Veon Bell, and how frustrating it was to see the Pittsburgh Steelers use the franchise tag on the running back for a second year in a row.

In other words, it looks like the Rams must have been listening to what their running back was saying since they no longer have to worry about him feeling any frustration down the road over a hefty contract.

As Adam Schefter points out, the $45 million guaranteed is the largest ever for a running back, and after last year’s breakout season in which he recorded 2,093 yards from the line of scrimmage to go along with 19 touchdowns, it was clearly well deserved.

Between this latest extension for Gurley along with taking care of Brandin Cooks last week, Los Angeles is making sure their high-powered offense remains in the best shape possible for years to come.

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Now that Gurley is going to be taken care of, one can only imagine the new level of motivation the former Georgia star is going to be feeling in his fourth NFL season. Running backs sometimes receive the raw end of the deal when it comes to NFL contracts, but this shows how much the Rams appreciated their beloved running back.

The Los Angeles Rams pulled out another surprise move by rewarding Todd Gurley with an extension before the start of training camp.

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