At the end of the 2018 season, nobody would argue that Todd Gurley belonged in the conversation as best running back in the NFL. He was just coming off his second straight season rushing for over 1,200 yards and led the league in touchdowns for the second straight time.
That made it three out of four years where Gurley was over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns on his career. He was a difference maker and an integral part of Los Angeles’ offense.
Then a contract dispute, followed by a lackluster 2019 season saw the Rams deciding to move on from Gurley and letting him walk in free agency. The Atlanta Falcons decided to bring the former star back to Georgia on a one year deal to see if he can still be an elite running back.
The Falcons are a year removed from having the 30th most rushing yards of any team in the NFL, and desperately trying to fix that area. With an offense trying to maximize their window of seeing Matt Ryan throwing to Julio Jones, a viable running game is necessary to compete in the NFC South. The Falcons got less than stellar performance from Devonta Freeman in 2019 and are hoping Gurley can be the one to turn the tide.
Much of what the Falcons are trying to do this year will depend on the success of Gurley and their running game. Gurley returning to his Pro Bowl caliber play would give Atlanta one of the best offenses in the NFL.
