Can LA Rams RB Darrell Henderson bench Todd Gurley this year?

No trust = no touches

Lack of touches is quite the understatement.  Henderson touched the ball a toal of 39 times over 13 games played, or just three times per game.  When teammate RB Brown was out due to injury, Henderson touched the ball 11 times in each of two games, but never for more than 49 yards in a game all season.  Of course, it’s tough to get any type of momentum going when you don’t touch the ball much.

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It was enough for Sosa Kremenjas at TurfShowTimes to annoint him as destined for stardom. That seems a bit… presumptious. But in light of the rumors of the Rams pondering the future of Todd Gurley, the Rams will likely be turning to either Brown or Henderson to fill any vacated role in the rushing offense.  After four season of Brown, and in the process leaning on the just signed legs of veteran C.J. Anderson in post-season, it’s a safe bet to believe the Rams understand what they have in him.  The only wildcard now is what does the team have in Henderson?

If running back Todd Gurley has serious arthritic knees, the Rams face a day when Gurley will reach a point of no return. Has it happened already, and 2019 is just the beginning of Gurley’s downward slope of fewer and fewer yards rushing?  Or was 2019 an offensive line anomaly, and Gurley will put up familiar numbers as soon as the offensive line gets its act together.

If Gurley is truly as healthy and ready to bounce back as the player suggests, then the Rams will likely merely work to redo his contract to enable the team to sign offensive linemen.  But if Gurley’s health continues to be an issue, the team will make moves towards replacing Gurley’s production via new players.  It may be a veteran running back, or an unusually high pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but the team will need to bring in more competition.