Los Angeles Rams: 4 key observations from unofficial depth chart for 2018 preseason

2. Brown early favorite for backup running back job

After putting together the best season of his career in 2017 that resulted in him finishing second in the MVP voting, Gurley has already hinted that he plans on playing as much as possible during his fourth NFL season to help the Rams live up to the hype. Of course, even the best players in the NFL need a break from time to time, and Gurley is going to need some plays off, whether he wants to take them or not.

With that being said, McVay gave high praise to Malcolm Brown around this time last year in training camp when it came to earning the backup role, and while that seems to be the case once again, a lot could change from now until September. Brown may be viewed as the favorite at the moment, but with other young running backs in Justin Davis and John Kelly looking to make a case of their own in the preseason, this could be one of more interesting position battles to monitor.

Just because Brown is listed as the No. 2 running back at the moment doesn’t mean it’s going to last for the rest of August. The preseason is when players make the most of situations to prove themselves worthy of earning playing time, but at least Brown has the advantage at the moment from an experience perspective.