Rams coach Sean McVay shed a little more light on Todd Gurley‘s absence at the team’s organized team activities, but questions remain after the running back became a complementary player in the postseason.
McVay said Gurley has been a regular at the team facility this offseason, though Gurley has not participated in any on-field drills.
Gurley also is working out with private trainer Travelle Gaines.
“We’ve been really pleased with Todd,” McVay said Tuesday, via video from the team. “He’s been doing some things with Travelle Gaines and some of those trainers, but then he’s also been here consistently, pretty much every single day of the weeks [of the offseason program]. He’s been an active participant, following the program we’ve implemented with him. We’re very pleased with where Todd is at right now.”
Gurley missed the final two regular-season games with “inflammation” in his knee before gaining 118 yards from scrimmage against the Cowboys in the divisional round. He then had only 16 touches for 47 yards and one touchdown in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl combined.
McVay has blamed his play-calling for not getting Gurley more involved.
Even though Gurley didn’t need offseason surgery, a report that he has arthritis has served only to increase speculation about Gurley’s knee.
Rams General Manager Les Snead has conceded that the Rams face a decision whether to continue with the workload Gurley has had in the past or “lessen that load.” Gurley has averaged 326 touches per season the past three seasons.
McVay indicated that part of the team’s plan to keep Gurley healthy is to hold him out of practice during the offseason.
“That was really what we felt like when we sat down at the end of the year and developing a plan that’s best suited for Todd getting ready for the Carolina Panthers [in Week One], but then also taking into consideration being ready to go when training camp rolls around,” McVay said. “I think some of that also had to do with us playing a lot longer than we had in previous years. So really sitting down with [athletic trainer] Reggie [Scott], and sitting down most importantly with Todd and talking through those things, that was a plan we’ve kind of laid out a while back and that’s what’s been followed so far.”