Rams' shooting star is the unlikely model for Saquon Barkley's transformation

One man single-handedly shut the door on the Los Angeles Rams' 2024 postseason. That man was Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who in the Divisional Round that year gashed the Horns for 205 rushing yards and two scores. Given the enmity between the franchises, it comes as a bit of a shock to the entire #Ramily that Barkley would
tap legendary ex-LA running back Todd Gurley for help.

Before fans grab pitchforks and torches to protest, it's worth noting that crossing so-called enemy lines is not uncommon. Sometimes bitter rivalries carry off the field and into retirement. More often, foes become friends when the pads go off. The NFL is a lifelong fraternity.

In Barkley's case, he had a unique, specific incentive to solicit Gurley's advice. Barkley wanted to get the lowdown on the Eagles' new offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion, who from 2015 to 2018 was also a backup quarterback for the Rams.

Gurley was his teammate. And while he competed with Mannion, Gurley was, like Barkley, a superstar at his position. Barkley reached out to him, the best back Mannion ever had as either a player or a coach, to glean whatever he could about his new playcaller from a front-row source.

"There's a lot of guys that do it in the system right now, but one guy that I've been focused on and talked to him a little over Instagram, Todd Gurley, watching his film," said Barkley, via NFL.com's Bobby Kownack. "Obviously it's a little bit different, but the big years that he had when he was playing and he was healthy, the way that he attacked it."

Todd Gurley was a jack of all trades, and mastered them all

As great as Barkley is for Philly, his superpower as a ground-pounder is not quite as impressive as Gurley's offensive versatility. The essence of the latter's entire NFL career, just six short years, revolved around the same premise that the New York Giants held for Barkley in his first two NFL seasons.

Run, block, and catch. All of it, at an elite level. Right from the jump, with where he lines up in the backfield, Barkley also anticipates a notably different scheme, one similar to the Rams' Gurley-centric offense.

"Under center you can see a little clearer. You're not blinded. … From under center it's easier, you can get downhill a little quicker. You can threaten them with stretches and outside zone a lot more. There's a lot of unique things you can do.

"And, yeah, it's no secret what this system is about. I look forward to doing that. It'll probably be the most I've ever done it under center and outside zone and all that good stuff. It's a challenge I'm looking forward to work on and getting better at and trying to be the best at it."

In Mannion's offense, Barkley should expect to account for a larger share of the offense overall. Thus far, the Eagles have compressed his duties to toting the rock up the gut, the occasional checkdown, and not much else. It has not been a diverse offense, and while that led to a Super Bowl two years ago, its stagnant vulnerabilities manifested last season. Mannion's arrival gives Philadelphia a chance to start fresh.

Sure, Barkley is older now, but he can probably dust off his Giants-era wheels if asked. Barkley clipped 2,000 rushing yards in 2024 with the Eagles, but as a pass-catcher, he's been less active in both seasons than he ever was in a healthy year in New York.

If his new OC takes Gurley as a reference point, Barkley could find himself doing a lot more than just running the football. It would hardly be surprising if Mannion tries to replicate his former head coach's success during the years that Sean McVay had Gurley to work with. That could mean pivoting back to 11-personnel as they rely on Barkley in a variety of ways. Their offseason receiver spree would seem to support that.

The Rams ultimately parted with Gurley once his play could no longer justify an expensive contract. In many ways, it was moving on from Gurley that forced LA to rethink its offensive formula.

Barkley is the right running back to resuscitate his own, unique iteration of Gurley's ghost under Mannion. While the Birds have a newly stocked receiver room even with AJ Brown's departure, their offensive success will depend more on quarterback Jalen Hurts, naturally, and also on whether Barkley can diversify his skill set. He must become a jack of all trades, a master of all.

As always, thanks for reading.

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