SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams looks on from the sidelines during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)The Rams’ decision to cut RB Todd Gurley was one of the more surprising moves of the offseason. It was also a move Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay never anticipated.
Gurley’s health is an issue, but when healthy, the Georgia alum is one of the best in the league. But a RB’s value is rapidly declining in the NFL today.
The former Rams’ RB’s contract was a horrendous deal for Los Angeles. As a result, McVay had no choice but to cut Gurley for the good of the team.
But make no mistake, the Rams head coach never anticipated he’d be cutting one of his best players.
“But to say that was something that I think you could have ever anticipated, I think the answer is no,” McVay told reporters Monday, via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN. “. . . A lot of the decisions we make aren’t exclusively about a player, but you’re talking about how to fit a big puzzle together with your team. These are conversations that require a lot of different directions and kind of projections based on where we’re at, where we want to be… but there certainly were a lot of things that went into the discussion and ultimately the decision to make that move.”
Overpaying running backs simply isn’t an option for NFL contenders anymore.
By cutting Gurley, McVay now has a bit more cap space to work with this off-season.
These are the types of moves that could potentially help an organization down the road.
