Todd Gurley, running back, Los Angeles Rams
Anyone who watched a fair amount of Rams football last year knows Gurley oftentimes did not have a chance to make anything happen on the ground due to poor blocking. However, there were plenty of missed opportunities by him as well. He simply had an awful 2016 campaign, rushing for 885 yards and a pathetic 3.2 yards per carry.
It was a far cry from Gurley’s rookie season in which he averaged 4.8 yards per carry and rushed for 1,106 yards in just 13 games.
The Rams have done some work to solidify the offensive line. They brought in Pro Bowl left tackle Andrew Whitworth and center John Sullivan, both of whom should immediately help improve the offensive line as a whole.
The franchise also ditched Jeff Fisher and replaced him with former Washington offensive coordinator Sean McVay. Players are already saying McVay’s offense is easier to learn and execute than the one Rob Boras ran in 2016.
It’s likely the offense will still struggle a bit at times. Jared Goff is still very young, and the Rams play in a division that features behemoth defenses on every team. Still, Gurley has a chance to prove last year was just a fluke. Or, he could continue to struggle, proving that his rookie campaign was the aberration.