Pros and Cons of the Atlanta Falcons signing Todd Gurley

The Atlanta Falcons signed Todd Gurley to a one-year, $5 million deal, giving him a chance to show that he is still among the NFL elite. This signing is an interesting one because there are both positives and negatives that could come from this signing.

Ever since Todd Gurley came into the league, fans have complained that the Atlanta Falcons should have drafted him. The criticism only grew louder as Gurley went on to put up monster numbers, while Beasley only managed to give the Atlanta Falcons one good season.

It’s easy to see why the fan reaction has been mostly positive after news broke that the Atlanta Falcons had signed Gurley. He is a big star with a track record of success. More importantly, he played college football for the University of Georgia. He was a fan favorite in Georgia and still is today.

Gurley signing with the Atlanta Falcons will be an interesting experiment. It could go great, or terribly, there’s no telling. With that being said, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of a Gurley homecoming.

Pros

This signing will most definitely put butts in seats. Not everyone in the state of Georgia is a fan of the Bulldogs, but a good majority are. Not every Georgia fan is an Atlanta Falcons fan, but a good majority are. The union of a Georgia Bulldog alum and the Atlanta Falcons is a rare sight that fans of both teams have been clamoring for.

Attendance and fan support for the Atlanta Falcons over the last couple of seasons has not been ideal and a player like Gurley, whether a Georgia fan or not, will help fix this problem.

Outside of the fan support aspect, Gurley has a proven track record of success. He won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2017, rushing for 1,305 yards and 13 touchdowns on 279 carries. He also caught 64 passes for 788 yards and six touchdowns. He was just as productive in the following season as well, proving that he is an elite runner. Even last season with less of a workload, he still managed to run for over 800 yards with 12 touchdowns.

Dirk Koetter loves to throw the ball to running backs and Gurley has proven to be a weapon in the passing game throughout his career, totaling 2,090 yards and 12 touchdowns on 218 receptions. He very well could be the man to revitalize the lackluster rushing attack.

However, with all this being said, signing Gurley does come with some baggage.

Cons

Unfortunately, it was announced last year that he had arthritis in his knee, which would eventually lead to less of a workload last season.

The Atlanta Falcons just released a guy in Devonta Freeman that had struggled with numerous injuries throughout the last couple of seasons, leading him to be only half the running back he used to be.

The team is signing Gurley with the hopes that his knee problem will not hinder his ability to perform at an elite level, and that is a dangerous mindset.

It is also important to note that Gurley may have to work with even less of a workload this upcoming season. When on the field, he is still one of the best running backs in the league, but that’s the issue with Gurley. With his knee condition, it will prevent him from being on the field consistently and that will get frustrating for an offense looking to bounce back after an up and down season.

There’s no telling at this point if he will be able to produce these numbers again, but it doesn’t hurt to give him a shot. That’s exactly what the Atlanta Falcons are doing by signing him to a one-year deal. They are giving him a chance to prove that he can still run with the best of them.

It’s exciting to see the Atlanta Falcons go after high-profile athletes for a change. Dan Quinn, Arthur Blank, and Thomas Dimitroff know this is a make-or-break season and, so far, it seems as though they are aware of this fact.