Reinvent The Run Game

Make no mistake: at his peak, Todd Gurley was one of the best we’ve seen in a long time. 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns in two years was evidence enough, but back-to-back All-Pro nods only solidified it. But as his health became the team’s ever-present enigma following a knee injury during their Super Bowl run, LA’s prospects faded, and Gurley’s elite potential never returned.

Now, with their former star in Atlanta, how does the team move forward at the position? All evidence points to Sean McVay intending to use a three-headed running back-by-committee with the talents of Darrell Henderson Jr., Cam Akers and Malcolm Brown on display.

In May, general manager Les Snead pointed to a division rival as inspiration, telling ESPN, “San Francisco does a good job identifying how they want to run the ball. Then you find players who can help you run the football the way you want to because not every running back is built the same and not every running scheme is the same.”

Many have pointed to a lack of production by Henderson and Brown last season when Gurley was off the field, but the offensive line played a substantial role in the poor showing from the run game. During the team’s Super Bowl season, the big men up front were one of the the Rams’ biggest strengths; however, in 2019, former stalwarts like Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein had their worst campaigns in several seasons, and injuries down the depth chart led to a significant decline along the offensive line.

At the height of his powers, Gurley also provided exception value as a receiver out of the backfield, something that has never been on display by Henderson or Brown. Akers showed flashes of it at Florida State, but as a rookie, it cannot be expected for him to take on the role of a feature back. McVay loves to run short option routes or flares for his running backs coming off of play action fakes, so finding someone to re-create Gurley’s chemistry with Goff is vital.

Given Goff’s propensity for play action, the team needs to figure out the running back position, and quickly. If the committee isn’t working, we may have already seen the end of LA’s Super Bowl window. Goff has signed his massive extension, and signing bigger free agents will only continue to get more difficult in the coming seasons.