Todd Gurley was the most
talented player in the 2015 NFLdraft.
He may have fallen to the St. Louis Rams at the 10th overall pick, but when
solely considering ability, Gurley was the best player available. Character
concerns are often what causes a talented player to fall, but that wasn't the
case with Gurley.
Instead,
Gurley had question marks over his positional value and his health. The running
back, who excelled at Georgia, was coming off a torn ACL during the draft
process. His rehab stretched into the preseason, preventing Gurley from getting
onto the field.
The Rams
were patient with their top pick. He took part in individual drills before
being cleared to partake in team activities. Contact wasn't immediately
permitted, but he was gradually upgraded to that level.
It took
Gurley until Week 3 of the regular season to see the field during an actual
game. He endured a frustrating, quiet debut, as he carried the ball just six
times for nine yards. It was a performance that didn't deter his head coach,
though.
Jeff
Fisher drew ire for his comments about Gurley's performance after that game.
Via Tom Pelissero, Fisher said that
Gurley ran "very well" and that it could have been "six carries
for 79 yards." That kind of comment from a coach with Fisher's reputation
for sustained mediocrity painted a poor picture.
However,
it was an accurate picture. Gurley was close to breaking off big gains on a
couple of his touches during his debut. Some illogical decisions from
individual blockers were the difference between finding space and being bottled
up by the defense.
It
wouldn't take long for Fisher's words to prove prophetic, though.
Gurley
got his first full workload in Week 4. He carried the ball four times for just
two yards in the first half but finished the game with 19 carries for 146
yards. He could, and arguably should, have had dramatically more yards, but
chose to stay in bounds twice late in the game to unselfishly help seal his
team's victory.
Even while curtailing his gains late on, Gurley still posted
runs of 23, 12, 52, 20 and 30 yards in the second half against the Arizona
Cardinals. The Cardinals have a strong all-around defense that mixes
disciplined power up front and explosiveness in the back seven.
For
Gurley, that didn't prove to be an obstacle as much as it was an opportunity to
highlight his skill set.
His
special skill set.
He was
patient long enough for his fullback to engage the edge defender. The fullback
initially did well, but couldn't seal the edge. This meant that Gurley had to
accelerate around the recovering defender as he approached the line of
scrimmage.
This is
where Gurley's skill set stood out.
The
running back easily switched through his gears so that he accelerated into a
sprint within one or two steps. He left the edge defender grasping at air as he
advanced downfield into space. Once downfield, he was squared up against a deep
safety.
Gurley
made the safety miss by aggressively accelerating past his left shoulder. He
was tackled by a recovering defensive back from the outside, but not before he
had gained 23 yards.
It was
this kind of patience, decisiveness and explosiveness that made Gurley such a
productive player at Georgia and such an appealing prospect during the draft.
On a relatively well-executed play, Gurley was able to maximize the yardage his
offense could gain.
The Rams
recognized Gurley's efforts on this play and immediately went back to him on
the following snap. For Gurley, this was a
more taxing assignment. The Rams ran a stretch zone run to the right. Gurley
followed the flow of his offensive line initially, but a cutback lane
immediately opened up to his inside. The running back's eyes were to the
outside, but he was reading the positioning of the defenders.
Gurley recognized the
cutback lane in front of him and approached it correctly.
He didn't attempt to
make one aggressive cut back infield. Instead, he used shorter steps to
continue with the flow of the offensive line before turning back through the
hole. This kept the defensive line moving towards the opposite sideline.
As Gurley approached
the line of scrimmage, a pursuing backside defender attempted to lunge at his
waist to bring him to the ground. The rookie showed off his strength and
balance, as he brushed off the tackle attempt to continue downfield at speed.
On the second level of
the defense, Gurley was again able to make the safety miss in space. He only
gained 12 yards on the play because once again, he was pulled down by a
recovering defender as he skipped past the safety's shoulder.
Gurley is a big back. He
is officially listed at 6'1" and 226 pounds. Although he appears to be
lighter now than he was before his ACL tear, Gurley would still classify as a
power back.
Power backs aren't
supposed to boast the kind of footwork that he does.redit: NFL.com
On this play, Gurley
is given another designed cutback carry. Although the play is designed to trap
defensive linemen downfield, the Rams blocking lets the two interior defenders
of the Cardinals move further downfield than they would like. As a heavy back,
counter runs are difficult to execute because they require nimble feet. Gurley
should theoretically be in danger of being tackled behind the line of scrimmage
on this play.
Not only
does Gurley show off nimble feet that allow him to quickly change direction and
maintain his balance as he angles toward the outside, he is able to get skinny
through the hole to avoid a potential tackle from the unblocked edge defender. His
outstanding footwork and balance allow him to get back to the line of
scrimmage, where Gurley is confronted by another unblocked defender. This
time, he has to make an aggressive cut back infield by planting his right foot
away from his body. Gurley does this comfortably and falls forward with the
defender grabbing his feet for a five-yard gain.
Early in
the fourth quarter, Gurley had his longest gain of the game.
The Rams had used Tavon Austin in different ways during the game to varying
effect. Austin led the team in receiving and scored two touchdowns as a
receiver, but also had two rushes and was motioned around the field repeatedly.
Austin's presence on
this 52-yard gain would be hugely important for Gurley.
Before the ball is
snapped, the Cardinals have seven defenders in the box. The Rams have a sixth
blocker in the backfield, an off-set fullback who is actually tight end Jared
Cook. When the ball is snapped, the Rams fake an end-around to Austin, which
holds two backside defenders. it: NFL.com
The pre-snap alignment
and the motion at the snap give the Rams the opportunity to block one-on-one as
Gurley runs to space off of left tackle. He has to make a read as he gets to
the line of scrimmage and the running back swerves behind his center without
slowing down.
This quick decision
and movement allow him to break into the second level with ease.
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