3 reasons why the LA Rams had to release Todd Gurley

Reason 2 – Rumored to be team distraction

The LA Rams devoted a lot of attention, both at the front office and among the coaching staff, to get Gurley back on track. Far more than the team could afford to direct.  Look at the team’s roster and the situation today.  The  LA Rams offensive line is well-staffed but has significant question marks that are deserved. The Rams defense is borderline rebuild mode. And the team’s coaching staff, while stable at positional coaches, has brought three new coordinators aboard.

But as the front office and coaching staff attempted to right the ship, the team was shackled to the fix being about Gurley, not about the fix being about the offense.  Todd Gurley wanted to contribute, and is fiercely competitive. This was not about Gurley’s attitude, but rather the economic reality – the team paid for something special at running back, so it was up to the coaches to deliver something special at running back.

NFL.com’s Michael Silver was on this story long before others. He wrote wonderful articles about the sense among the Rams organization that the team would make tough decisions in 2020. In order for the team to improve overall, the team had to stop trying so hard to resurrect the career of one player. The Rams offensive line was not tops among the NFL any longer, nor does the team have the cap space to sign marquis offensive linemen. In a 2020 NFL Draft bursting with running back talent, this is a good time to reinvest in new talent for the future.