Around this time last year, Todd Gurley was setting the NFL landscape ablaze en route to becoming the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year.
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Things have taken a dramatic turn this season, however. Through seven games, the Los Angeles Rams running back's sophomore slump couldn't be more apparent. He ranks 20th in the league in rushing and hasn't reached 100 yards in a single outing after recording 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2015.
According to Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman, the Rams are "ruining" a potential Hall of Famer.
"I warned in the spring that the Rams would ruin Gurley, a unique talent, one of the most unique we've seen in the past four or five years," Freeman writes. "But now we are seeing it in action. It's rare for us to see—firsthand—bad coaching ruin a potential Hall of Famer. But that is what we are witnessing. Gurley doesn't stand a chance with the Rams. He never did."
Freeman points outs that if Los Angeles and coach Jeff Fisher ever start Jared Goff at quarterback, Gurley could benefit, as the team's subpar quarterback play has NFL defenses focusing on the ground game with eight and nine man fronts. But, he says, that's a big "if."
"He may be talented enough to open up the offense and take pressure off Gurley. But if he was that good, wouldn't he already be starting? Maybe Goff needs time, but if the Rams have to wait three or four seasons, Gurley will have a lot more wear on him."
