Rams notes: Fisher says Gurley will not play in season opener
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It’s official. Running back Todd Gurley, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, will not play when the Rams take on the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks to open the season on Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Edward Jones Dome.
The news came as no surprise since Gurley didn’t take a snap during the preseason and has been limited through most of training camp as he recovers from ACL surgery on his left knee in November.
Since draft day, coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead have stressed the importance of bringing Gurley along slowly. A three-year starter at the University of Georgia, the 6-foot-1, 227-pound Gurley is a special talent who ran for nearly 3,300 yards and averaged 6.4 yards per carry for the Bulldogs. He also caught 65 passes for 615 yards and scored 44 touchdowns, which ranks second all-time to Hershel Walker’s 52.
“Todd Gurley’s not going to play this week,’’ Fisher said during a Saturday meeting with the media at Rams Park.
Fisher also said that his decision on the starter at center — Mizzou product Tim Barnes and second-year pro Demetrius Rhaney are the options — would be announced after the team’s next full-squad workout on Wednesday.
With the announcement on Gurley, coupled with the release of rookie free agents Malcolm Brown (Texas) and Zach Laskey (Georgia Tech), it gives the Rams the following options at running back: Tre Mason, Benny Cunningham, Isaiah Pead and Chase Reynolds.
Trey Watts, a versatile second-year player, will miss the first four games of the season; he was suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
Brown and Laskey signed as free agents shortly after the draft. Brown had some good moments in the preseason, rushing for 69 yards on 17 carries, for a 4.1 average, and catching nine passes for 127 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown catch and run against Tennessee. The nine catches tied for the team lead during exhibition play. Laskey, who the Rams listed as a fullback, did not carry from scrimmage during the preseason and had one catch for nine yards.
Mason, a third-round draft pick in 2014, came on to lead the team in rushing year ago with 765 yards. He also caught 16 passes for 148 yards and scored five touchdowns. He sat out the preseason finale with a sore hamstring.
“Tre’s doing good,’’ Fisher said Saturday. “He had two treatment sessions today and he’s doing well. So we’ll see how he is during the week.’’
Cunningham, who also sat out the Kansas City game on Thursday, would likely get the nod if Mason isn’t ready. A third-year pro out of Middle Tennessee State, Cunningham ran for 246 yards and three touchdowns and caught 45 passes for 352 yards and another score a year ago. He’s also the Ram’s main kick returner; he averaged an NFC-leading 27.5 yards on 35 returns a year ago.
Pead, a second-round draft pick in 2012, is also coming off ACL surgery — he was hurt on a kickoff return early in the 2014 preseason — and led the Rams in rushing against Kansas City with 52 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
Entering his fifth NFL season, Reynolds is primarily a special-teams player. A year ago, he finished among the league’s leaders in special-teams tackles with 19.
RELATIVELY HEALTHY
E.J. Gaines, the ex-Mizzou standout who started the first 15 games as a rookie a year ago, went down with a season-ending foot injury early in training camp but the Rams escaped the preseason pretty much in tact.
“As I said after the game (Thursday), the training room was empty, which is a really good thing,’’ Fisher said. “We’re doing a good job with our treatments and healing people up.’’
Fisher said that linebacker and special-teams standout Daren Bates, out with a knee strain, is making progress.
“He’s coming,’’ the coach said. “He had a good day yesterday, did some good running yesterday, so he’s coming along. I’ll have the injury report for you on Friday.’’
Despite the 0-4 record, Fisher said the Rams made progress in the preseason.
“Well, I thought we accomplished a lot this preseason,” he said. “We were able to decide on the starting center. Preseason afforded us an opportunity to get down to 53 (players), which was not easy. ... I thought the preseason was good. Camp was good.’’
RAM-BLINGS
Following is a quick rundown of the Rams’ preseason stats:
OFFENSE
Nick Foles completed 18 of 26 passes (69.2 percent) for 264 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Rookie Sean Mannion, who struggled in the preseason finale against the Chiefs, finished the preseason with a team-leading 300 passing yards, completing 31 of 57 (54.4 percent); he had a touchdown and an interception.
No. 2 QB Case Keenum completed 21 of 36 (58.3 percent) for 256 yards and had an 80-yard TD to Chris Givens.
Watts, who will sit out the season’s first four games, led the team in rushing with 98 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. He also tied for third with eight catches for 58 yards. Isaiah Pead ran for 96 yards and a touchdown on a team-high 26 carries. He also had three catches for eight yards and averaged 29.5 yards on two kickoff returns.
Brown, the rookie free agent from Texas, tied for the team lead in receptions with nine. He had 127 receiving yards and a touchdown. He also ran 17 times for 69 yards.
Givens also had nine catches, leading the team with 206 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Rookie Bradley Marquez (8 catches, 74 yards), Stedman Bailey (5 catches, 58 yards) and Kenny Britt (5 catches, 44 yards) were the other top receivers.
DEFENSE
Rookies Bryce Hager and Louis Trinca-Pasat tied for the team lead in preseason tackles with 24.
Hager, a seventh-round draft pick from Baylor, led way with 19 solos and also had both of the team’s fumble recoveries.
Trinca-Pasat, an undrafted free agent from Iowa, had six solos, four tackles for loss, six quarterback pressures and three quarterback hits.
Others finishing with double-digit preseason tackles were DE Matt Longacre (18, 4 for loss, with 6 QB pressures, 5 QB hits), LB Cameron Lynch (18), DT Ethan Westbrooks (16, 3 for loss, with 6 QB pressures), DB Lamarcus Joyner (14), S Maurice Alexander (14, 2 for loss), CB Trovon Reed (14, with 2 passes broken up), S Cody Davis (13, 1 for loss, 1 interception), DT Marcus Forston (11), CB Montell Garner (11, with 1 caused fumble), LB Alec Ogletree (10), CB Marcus Roberson (10, with 3 passes broken up).
AP
