Backfield Breakdown St.Louis Rams & San Diego Chargers
(Photo Courtesy of sicemdawgs.com)
ST.Louis Rams
Coming into last season, everyone expected Zac Stacy to be the man. Little did they know, the Rams were going to turn on Stacy, bench him and let Tre Mason Take his job. Now Todd Gurley is in town and the sequel is getting ready to air.
Tre Mason
He finished up last season with 765 yards and 4 TDs. The production could have been better, so, the Rams went out and drafted Todd Gurley. Many sit back and ask themselves, what does this mean for Tre Mason?
Now that Gurley is medically cleared to go into camp, you have to think that only diminishes Mason’s value. Gurley is a much more athletic back it will be nearly impossible for Mason to hold him off.
With that said, Mason still brings some value to the table. The Rams aren’t just gonna forget Mason exists and bury him on the bench. Or will they? If you ask Zac Stacy he may tell you different.
The Rams may still look to protect Gurley, as he is their future and coming off a nasty injury. With Gurley in the lineup Mason’s value takes a hit. He is a RB3 at best if Gurley stays healthy.
Todd Gurley
It’s official Todd Gurley has been cleared to join the team, perfect timing as he misses no time in training camp. He should be the Rams number 1 option as we move forward.
A major concern, for Gurley, was the rookie missing time at camp, since he is a rookie, he needs all the time he can get to develop himself as a football player and learn the NFL game. With his recovery behind him and just the game of football in front of him I’m expecting some pretty big things.
He is the most talented back the Rams have on the roster. He should move ahead of Tre Mason in short order. Once we see him win the starting job for the Rams, Gurley will be ranked inside the top 14 RBs this year.
Gurley brings an explosiveness the Rams haven’t seen at the position since Marshall Faulk. He has great vision, he can run over defenders and he can make those cut backs that break a defenders legs.
He also brings solid hands and all around good receiving ability to the table. He has 3 down back potential. I currently have him ranked 18th amongst RBs.
If you’re not in a deeper league, he really doesn’t matter. But, for those in deeper leagues, he will continue to be the 3rd down back this year. You may find a week or 2 throughout the season where you can make use of him.
While Gurley can be a 3 down back in his rookie season, they won’t wanna give him a huge load to shoulder. Cunningham should remain the 3rd down back. I currently have him ranked 70th.
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San Diego Chargers
This is another team with an up and coming rookie RB on the roster. Last season they lost Woodhead early on and Branden Oliver was called on to step in and be the man.
Melvin Gordon
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone to hear that Gordon is the best back the Chargers have. He is the odds on favorite to win the starting job. The real question is, with Oliver and Woodhead sharing a backfield with him, just how much of a workload can he carve out for himself.
Gordon is a threat to score whenever he touches the ball. He has that rare top end speed, he has great agility and balance, but, most importantly you can use him in several different schemes.
He needs to improve as far as the passing game is concerned. We also have to be concerned with his ball security and pass blocking With that said, the Chargers lacked a pure running threat last season. Now they have one in Melvin Gordon. I have him ranked 16th this season.
Branden Oliver
Branden Oliver took over last season as the Chargers go to back. He finished up the 2014 campaign with just 582 yards and 3 touchdowns. He appeared in 14 games, so saying we expected bigger numbers from him isn’t asking too much.
Clearly the Chargers felt the same way, because, they went out and wasted no time drafting Melvin Gordon. I don’t see Oliver as an every down back, he is more of a complimentary back. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him have a little more success when he doesn’t have the weight of the Chargers running game on his shoulders. I have Oliver ranked 82nd.
Danny Woodhead
Last year, his season ended abruptly with a season ending injury. If Woodhead can stay healthy this year, then in PPR leagues, he is the 2nd most valuable back the Chargers have.
He is clearly the best receiving back the Chargers have. He will get the nod in all passing situations. The only question surrounding Woodhead is, can he stay healthy. I have him ranked 35th this year.
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