The Atlanta Falcons don’t need the MVP Todd Gurley in 2020
By Joe Beasley
Atlanta Falcons don’t need 2018 MVP Todd Gurley to be successful in 2020.
Fans of the Atlanta Falcons were ecstatic when the team decided to pick up the former Georgia Bulldog. However, others felt like it was too late to pick up the veteran running back because of his injuries and that the $5 million price tag could have been spent elsewhere.
The injury history can be concerning but at the end of the day, the Atlanta Falcons don’t need the 2018 MVP candidate Todd Gurley.
The Atlanta Falcons offense isn’t like the one used in Carolina or Tennessee where running backs Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry get 30 touches a game. Todd Gurley is joining a team with a proven quarterback like Matt Ryan, who is leaps and bound better than Jared Goff, and a receiving core with a one-two punch that can’t be matched.
When you look at the Falcons offense as a whole, the depth at running back with Brian Hill, Ito Smith, and Qadree Ollison plus tight end Hayden Hurst, Todd Gurley does not have to shoulder the load like he did with the Rams.
In Atlanta, Gurley does not need to run for 1,200-1,300 yards because the Falcons don’t need that to be successful. The system that Atlanta has is ideal for who Gurley currently is, a running back that can be part of a rotation.
They will Todd Gurley to show up for 16 games and be consistent with his production, something they did not get out of former running back Devonta Freeman the last three seasons he was in Atlanta.
For the first time in his career, Todd Gurley won’t be a focal point of the offense. If Gurley can rush for 60 yards on the ground and add 25 yards on the receiving end per game, that will be more than enough for the Atlanta Falcons offense to get back to what they were in 2016.
The ideal situation for the Atlanta Falcons and Todd Gurley Gurley would be 15 attempts a game and a total of 1,000 rushing yards with an additional 300 yards receiving and 15 total touchdowns.
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Gurley knows why he’s here and the hope is that Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter will know how to utilize him best. If the offense line shows up this season, there’s no reason why Gurley can’t be the best free-agent steal in Atlanta Falcons history.