With the NFL free agency tampering period underway, the Los Angeles Rams are already hard at work trying to retain some of their own players.
While they do not have much cap space at their disposal, reports indicate they are working on re-signing Dante Fowler Jr., Andrew Whitworth, Michael Brockers and Austin Blythe.
To get all of that done, they may need to trade one of their higher-salary players to free up some more cap space. Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks is one candidate and has been involved in trade rumors, but his concussion history may limit his value.
One other option would be to trade one of the faces of the franchise in Todd Gurley, and the Rams are reportedly discussing that with other teams, per Michael Silver of Sports Illustrated:
Another big-name player whose name is coming up in trade talks: Rams RB Todd Gurley. As I reported in December, the team may be ready to move on. @nflnetwork @AroundTheNFL https://t.co/LbbBdmp4TG
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 16, 2020
It’s no secret that Gurley may be on the decline due to an arthritic knee condition that led to him having his worst season with the Rams in 2019. In 15 games, he rushed for 857 yards and 12 touchdowns on 3.8 yards per carry, catching 31 passes for 207 yards and two more touchdowns.
While he still was able to find the endzone 14 times, Gurley’s production rate was significantly lower than his two All-Pro seasons in 2017 and 2018.
Gurley still has four more seasons on his contract with the Rams after signing his big extension a couple of years ago. He has a cap hit of a little more than $17 million in 2020, followed by $13 million, $14 million and $12 million the three years after that.
While that may be tough to get off of in a trade, the Rams are reportedly looking for draft picks in return:
According to one GM who has discussed this with the Rams: They're seeking "something of value" for Gurley; a pick in the second to fourth-round range… depending upon new team's willingness to take on the contract… https://t.co/i7vo3oEGND
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 16, 2020
If the Rams were to trade Gurley, that would leave them with Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown as the two running backs on their roster. General manager Les Snead and Sean McVay have hinted at a ‘two-headed monster’ at the position, which could mark the end of Gurley’s tenure in L.A.
