The Facts: Four months after Super Bowl LIII, questions still abound about the health of Gurley's fickle left knee. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that it is understood in Los Angeles that Gurley will no longer be the bell-cow back that he was over the first four seasons of his career, something that was hinted at during Super Bowl Weekend and will continue this year. "The days of Todd Gurley just being the straight-up, every-down bell cow are probably over, just based on his knee, his age, the position, the amount of carries he's had," Rapoport said on Monday's edition on NFL Total Access. "It's probably not going to be like that, which by the way is maybe why the Rams drafted a running back in the third round, someone they really like a lot. This is a team that is clearly ready to spread the ball around."
Diehards Line:
Gurley has been held out of on-field team practices during offseason workouts, instead taking part in a "planned training program." Gurley is also reportedly trying to shed half a dozen pounds down to 218 in an attempt to lighten the load on a knee that held him back down the stretch of last season. HC Sean McVay addressed Monday reports of Gurley's desire to play at a lower weight, expressing optimism about the running back's health heading into 2019. "I want him to feel most comfortable. That's the most important thing, what he feels he can most function at, being the all-purpose back he's been and that's where we're at," McVay told reporters. Clearly, however, Gurley's return to "all-purpose" form might not be so simple. And it's something we'll continue to follow. But all indications, from inside and outside the Rams' facility, are that the 24-year-old Gurley's days of league-leading dominance are dwindling.