Los Angeles Rams are responsible for screwy running back market

The running back market in the NFL is fairly convoluted right now and part of the blame can be pinned on the Los Angeles Rams.

It is not a great time to be a running back in the National Football League right now and it is not a good time to try and maintain elite running back talent either. Luckily for the Los Angeles Rams, they have Todd Gurley locked down for several more seasons.

However, it is the fact that Gurley is locked down for at least another three seasons that is causing some of this madness. Gurley’s contract was rather unprecedented, and the Rams’ actions are hurting other teams in the league.

This season was meant to be Gurley’s last season under contract with the Rams and more times than not teams will come to an agreement on an extension in that last season. The Rams, on the other hand, decided to extend Gurley two years before his contract was up, which is completely different from the “norm”.

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Gurley is signed through the 2023 season, although there is an out in contract after the 2021 season. Either way, the fact that he got at least four years with $45 guaranteed is making things harder for other teams.

Two running backs are currently in holdouts in Melvin Gordon and Ezekiel Elliott. Gordon is in the situation that Gurley would have been in and Elliott is in the situation that he was in last year.

Gurley never held out, though, but his contract is still having an impact on how these guys do business. Both are playing a game of chicken with their respective teams, hoping that the front office blinks first.

Gordon has a little bit more of a case with it being the last year of his deal but it is the money that is holding the Chargers up. Gordon reportedly turned down an offer in the range of $10 million per year, although we do not know the length nor the guaranteed money.

Either way, that would have made him the fourth-highest paid running back in the league, which is fair for a player of his caliber. However, because his draft mate is making nearly $5 million more per year, Gurley feels as if he should get more.

In Elliott’s case, it likely is Gurley that he is taking inspiration from and is trying to get a payday as soon as he can. Zeke can look at Gurley’s contract with the Rams and ask the Cowboys why he is not worth the same treatment.

And while I highly doubt he sits out two years, he does have a baseline to go off of for leverage in his contract talks.

That is exactly what Gurley’s contract has given these backs as it has also given them a glimmer of hope; given them the idea that if the Rams were capable of extending Gurley early, then so are these other teams.

The problem with that logic is that it has not worked out for the Rams. Gurley’s knee is obviously an issue with the back having huge questions around his health before his rookie contract would have even been up.

That is why teams are cautious as well. So in a sense, this deal by the Los Angeles Rams and Todd Gurley is giving both sides fuel to bring to the negotiation fire.

When really, at the end of the day, running backs should have learned from Le’Veon Bell that maybe holding out is not the best option.

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But hey, the Los Angeles Rams’ job is not to make things easier for other teams, it is to make things harder. If this is really just a super elaborate scheme to hurt other teams then bravo Les Snead.

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