The moment the devastating news dropped that Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers would miss the entire 2021 season due to an Achilles injury, speculation started about who Sean McVay's club might bring in to help replace the RB.
Big-name veterans free agents like Adrian Peterson, Le'Veon Bell or Frank Gore have percolated. Another popular player is former Ram Todd Gurley.
Hall of Fame Rams RB Eric Dickerson told TMZ he believes a reunion with Gurley is the best way to go.
"That's a no-brainer," Dickerson said. "I mean, he knows the offense, he knows this offense. He doesn't have to come in and try and learn it. He knows McVay, he knows the guys on the team -- that would be an easy fit."
It should be noted that McVay has stated since the Akers injury that the club wants to give the youngsters on the roster a chance to earn reps before the team considers bringing in a veteran.
Of course, even comments from the coach won't slow speculation ahead of training camp.
A reunion with Gurley appears a nonstarter for a bevy of reasons. One is that the relationship didn't exactly end well when the Rams cut the RB last year. Gurley also grumbled publicly about the Rams owing him money, so the dissatisfaction might be mutual.
Then there is the fact that Gurley averaged just 3.5 yards per carry with the Atlanta Falcons last year. The knee injury issues which spurred his departure from L.A. sapped Gurley's athleticism. McVay prefers a run game that gets to the edge and runs wide to stretch defenses. That's no longer Gurley's game. In fact, he was dreadful on runs outside the box last season. So even if the Rams and Gurley could get past the mental, emotional and fiscal issues, it doesn't look like a good fit on paper unless that knee has magically healed in the last seven months.
But for Dickerson, who is currently listed in the Rams front office as VP of business development, a reunion with Gurley makes too much sense to pass up.
"At the end of the day, football, this is business," Dickerson said. "That's what it comes down to. You got to make business decisions. You got to make decisions that are good for the football team, and the player has to make decisions that's best for him."
We'll see in the coming weeks whether the Rams take note of their legendary running back's stance or not.
