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McCutcheon Sees Limitless Potential in Gurley
By Myles Simmons
View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/McCutcheon-Sees-Limitless-Potential-in-Gurley/165d56b3-fb2b-4b56-8b06-a4dedbc8eb77
In drafting Todd Gurley, St. Louis added a running back who is universally thought of as a special talent at Rams Park. And one man uniquely qualified to make that statement is Lawrence McCutcheon.
The Rams’ third-round pick in 1972, McCutcheon is No. 4 on the franchise’s all-time rushing list -- behind only Steven Jackson, Eric Dickerson, and Marshall Faulk -- after racking up 6,186 yards in eight seasons. He went to five Pro Bowls and helped the team advance to Super Bowl XIV.
McCutcheon has served various roles within the Rams’ player personnel department since 1982, and is currently a national scout for the club. And all of his experience and love for the game -- as a former player and a talent evaluator -- came through clear as day when the Rams selected Gurley.
“When you have a scout on your staff like Lawrence McCutcheon, who’s played the position, who’s evaluated the player, and is in the room when you get to make that choice,” head coach Jeff Fisher told NFL Media’s Mike Silver, “just to see him come alive and be excited -- it’s a memorable experience.
Given McCutcheon’s expertise when it comes to the ground game, it’s easy to see why he’s enthusiastic about Gurley playing for the Rams.
“As a former running back here, you’re always looking for that next guy to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and be that bell-cow-type running back,” McCutcheon said in an interview with stlouisrams.com. “And he certainly fits that build.”
“To me, that’s what the game is all about, particularly what coach Fisher is trying to establish here now,” McCutcheon continued. “He’s big, he’s fast, he’s elusive, he finishes his runs. So he’s the perfect fit, in my opinion.”
McCutcheon has evaluated a multitude of running backs in his career as a scout, and said that usually they fall under different categories.
“You’ve got the little guys who are more elusive in space, make-you-miss type guys, double-cut guys,” McCutcheon said, adding that Gurley’s quick feet, elusiveness, and ability to lower his shoulder to break through arm tackles separates him from other backs. “Gurley is a combination of all of them just put into a bigger package.”
The first-round pick’s special ability is part of the reason why McCutcheon doesn’t think it makes any sense when people say that the running back isn’t as important as it once was. While Gurley and Melvin Gordon marked the first RBs taken in the Round 1 since 2012, McCutcheon said that playing a ball-control offense requires a strong rushing attack.
“I think it’s crazy when people say that the position has been devalued because the ground game has been the nucleus football for decades,” McCutcheon said. “I don’t think it’ll ever be phased out completely. You’ll see more emphasis by some teams over others, but when it’s all said and done, you have to run the football to win football games, in my opinion.”
That’s an adage McCutcheon says has been true irrespective of era. There have been changes to rules and styles of play, but McCutcheon said the basic tenants of running the football have remained the same.
“You still have to get some offensive linemen up there who are coming off the ball, creating some holes,” McCutcheon said. “I don’t care what scheme it is -- you’ve got to get the ball north and south instead of going east and west. And when you’re doing that, you’re going to be successful.”
“I think of the old Washington Redskins when John Riggins was running the ball,” McCutcheon continued. “When the Rams were running the football with Eric Dickerson, and then you had Marshall Faulk who was running the ball here -- they were two types of guys who were very, very successful Hall of Famers. But they both brought a different style to the offense.”
However, what has changed over time is the way the game is scouted. McCutcheon said that when he was drafted, he was coming off of knee surgery, which may have caused him to drop down to the third round at No. 70 overall. But he also said that many teams actually may not have known about that surgery. In 2015, McCutcheon said, there’s no question that every team would have had that information.
According to McCutcheon, scouting has evolved into something almost completely different from when he first got into the league.
“I think when I came out, there was probably one guy who came through and did his own work and sent his report in, and that was probably it,” McCutcheon said. “Now, you’ve got the area guy, you’ve got a cross-check guy, you’ve got a national guy, and then you’ve got guys here in the building doing the homework. So It’s not as easy for a guy to fall through the cracks now as it was back then.”
With what can be an overwhelming amount of intelligence on incoming NFL players nowadays, McCutcheon said that in scouting, it’s important to find a balance between utilizing available knowledge and going with your intuition.
“I think you can over-evaluate to a certain extent,” McCutcheon said. “I’m a true believer in following your gut instincts, and once you have an opinion on a guy and you put that stamp on him, your first opinion is usually the right opinion. The minute you start second-guessing yourself, and thinking, ‘Well, maybe I need to go back and do some more work,’ that’s when you muddle the picture, so to speak. And then I think you can make some bad choices in that respect.”
In many ways, that’s how McCutcheon evaluated Gurley. The rookie running back’s on-field performance at Georgia -- where in 2014 he rushed for 911 yards in just six games -- greatly illustrates his overall potential. And with Fisher saying that the Rams’ doctors have no concerns over Gurley’s knee and its recovery, McCutcheon said that there are many reasons to be fired up over the Rams’ first-round pick.
“I think the sky is the limit,” McCutcheon said of Gurley. “He’s proven that he’s a big-time player in a big-time arena. He did it at a great school where a lot of good running backs have come out.
“The key to any success in this league -- not only at running back -- is just being available week in and week out so that you can produce,” McCutcheon added. “And if that happens, it’ll be great to see where his future lies.”
By Myles Simmons
View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/McCutcheon-Sees-Limitless-Potential-in-Gurley/165d56b3-fb2b-4b56-8b06-a4dedbc8eb77
In drafting Todd Gurley, St. Louis added a running back who is universally thought of as a special talent at Rams Park. And one man uniquely qualified to make that statement is Lawrence McCutcheon.
The Rams’ third-round pick in 1972, McCutcheon is No. 4 on the franchise’s all-time rushing list -- behind only Steven Jackson, Eric Dickerson, and Marshall Faulk -- after racking up 6,186 yards in eight seasons. He went to five Pro Bowls and helped the team advance to Super Bowl XIV.
McCutcheon has served various roles within the Rams’ player personnel department since 1982, and is currently a national scout for the club. And all of his experience and love for the game -- as a former player and a talent evaluator -- came through clear as day when the Rams selected Gurley.
“When you have a scout on your staff like Lawrence McCutcheon, who’s played the position, who’s evaluated the player, and is in the room when you get to make that choice,” head coach Jeff Fisher told NFL Media’s Mike Silver, “just to see him come alive and be excited -- it’s a memorable experience.
Given McCutcheon’s expertise when it comes to the ground game, it’s easy to see why he’s enthusiastic about Gurley playing for the Rams.
“As a former running back here, you’re always looking for that next guy to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and be that bell-cow-type running back,” McCutcheon said in an interview with stlouisrams.com. “And he certainly fits that build.”
“To me, that’s what the game is all about, particularly what coach Fisher is trying to establish here now,” McCutcheon continued. “He’s big, he’s fast, he’s elusive, he finishes his runs. So he’s the perfect fit, in my opinion.”
McCutcheon has evaluated a multitude of running backs in his career as a scout, and said that usually they fall under different categories.
“You’ve got the little guys who are more elusive in space, make-you-miss type guys, double-cut guys,” McCutcheon said, adding that Gurley’s quick feet, elusiveness, and ability to lower his shoulder to break through arm tackles separates him from other backs. “Gurley is a combination of all of them just put into a bigger package.”
The first-round pick’s special ability is part of the reason why McCutcheon doesn’t think it makes any sense when people say that the running back isn’t as important as it once was. While Gurley and Melvin Gordon marked the first RBs taken in the Round 1 since 2012, McCutcheon said that playing a ball-control offense requires a strong rushing attack.
“I think it’s crazy when people say that the position has been devalued because the ground game has been the nucleus football for decades,” McCutcheon said. “I don’t think it’ll ever be phased out completely. You’ll see more emphasis by some teams over others, but when it’s all said and done, you have to run the football to win football games, in my opinion.”
That’s an adage McCutcheon says has been true irrespective of era. There have been changes to rules and styles of play, but McCutcheon said the basic tenants of running the football have remained the same.
“You still have to get some offensive linemen up there who are coming off the ball, creating some holes,” McCutcheon said. “I don’t care what scheme it is -- you’ve got to get the ball north and south instead of going east and west. And when you’re doing that, you’re going to be successful.”
“I think of the old Washington Redskins when John Riggins was running the ball,” McCutcheon continued. “When the Rams were running the football with Eric Dickerson, and then you had Marshall Faulk who was running the ball here -- they were two types of guys who were very, very successful Hall of Famers. But they both brought a different style to the offense.”
However, what has changed over time is the way the game is scouted. McCutcheon said that when he was drafted, he was coming off of knee surgery, which may have caused him to drop down to the third round at No. 70 overall. But he also said that many teams actually may not have known about that surgery. In 2015, McCutcheon said, there’s no question that every team would have had that information.
According to McCutcheon, scouting has evolved into something almost completely different from when he first got into the league.
“I think when I came out, there was probably one guy who came through and did his own work and sent his report in, and that was probably it,” McCutcheon said. “Now, you’ve got the area guy, you’ve got a cross-check guy, you’ve got a national guy, and then you’ve got guys here in the building doing the homework. So It’s not as easy for a guy to fall through the cracks now as it was back then.”
With what can be an overwhelming amount of intelligence on incoming NFL players nowadays, McCutcheon said that in scouting, it’s important to find a balance between utilizing available knowledge and going with your intuition.
“I think you can over-evaluate to a certain extent,” McCutcheon said. “I’m a true believer in following your gut instincts, and once you have an opinion on a guy and you put that stamp on him, your first opinion is usually the right opinion. The minute you start second-guessing yourself, and thinking, ‘Well, maybe I need to go back and do some more work,’ that’s when you muddle the picture, so to speak. And then I think you can make some bad choices in that respect.”
In many ways, that’s how McCutcheon evaluated Gurley. The rookie running back’s on-field performance at Georgia -- where in 2014 he rushed for 911 yards in just six games -- greatly illustrates his overall potential. And with Fisher saying that the Rams’ doctors have no concerns over Gurley’s knee and its recovery, McCutcheon said that there are many reasons to be fired up over the Rams’ first-round pick.
“I think the sky is the limit,” McCutcheon said of Gurley. “He’s proven that he’s a big-time player in a big-time arena. He did it at a great school where a lot of good running backs have come out.
“The key to any success in this league -- not only at running back -- is just being available week in and week out so that you can produce,” McCutcheon added. “And if that happens, it’ll be great to see where his future lies.”
