LA Rams - Heaven Can Wait - They're Home Again

[bennythedip2]

David John (SL) says Todd Gurley can light up football's return to Los Angeles with a big season at running back.

Football returns to Los Angeles after the Rams finally upped sticks and left St Louis so a marquee performance or two would certainly go down well at the Coliseum while owner Stan Kroenke builds his new stadium in Inglewood.

The LA Rams certainly made an early statement back in the spring by moving up the Draft to snare quarterback Jared Goff with the top pick but all eyes will be on second-year running back Todd Gurley in what is expected to be the season he takes over the mantle of best in the game from Adrian Peterson.

Goff has a lot on his plate as he settles into a high-profile job so Gurley is going to be asked to carry most of the offense on his shoulders following his own immensely promising first season as a pro.

He had to battle the remnants of a knee injury which he suffered at the University of Georgia, sitting out training camp before getting his first chance in week three of the regular season in a low-scoring affair against Pittsburgh.

Gurley rushed for a meagre nine yards on six attempts but that was all he needed to get going as he immediately produced four straight 100-yard performances to announce his arrival on the way to a 1,000-yard campaign and Offensive Rookie of the Year honours.

"He is in great shape right now," said head coach Jeff Fisher recently so Gurley is right in position to build on that stellar rookie campaign - anyone who has tuned in to see this year's NFL Hard Knocks show will have seen a confident Gurley ripping it up in training camp with the swagger of a player on the brink of superstardom.

Gurley is obviously among the favourites but those looking for a potential shock result in the market for most rushing yards could do worse than throw some loose change at Cleveland's Isaiah Crowell.

And yes, I did say Cleveland.

The much maligned Browns are reinventing themselves for the umpteenth time with rookie head coach Hue Jackson now calling the shots as another new arrival Robert Griffin III attempts to revive his flagging career having won the starting job at quarterback.

There is certainly a sizeable gap for Crowell to bridge as heads into his third year in the league but that said, there is plenty of untapped talent to keep him ahead of Duke Johnson on the depth chart as they battle for playing time in the backfield.

Crowell was involved in a rather unsavoury incident in the summer which left a nasty taste in the mouth but he has shown huge remorse as he bids to regain the trust of his coaches and the fans and is keen to grasp a renewed opportunity with both hands.

Jackson said of him: "I think there is more still to come. He is beginning to see what he has the potential to be."

Getting to six wins on the season would be a very reasonable accomplishment but the new era under Jackson and his staff should contain more than a few moments of promise and the motivated Crowell can play his part with a breakout performance.

A final pick in this area carries a bit of health warning as San Francisco's Carlos Hyde can't seem to stay on the field but he is a powerful young back who has the chance to work in a system under new head coach Chip Kelly which should suit him down to the ground.

His latest issue saw him leave the third pre-season game against Green Bay with a concussion and the fact he only managed to get to week seven in 2015 before he suffered a stress fracture to his foot indicates some serious durability issues in the most punishing positions anywhere on an NFL field.

He is back on track to start in week one so I am prepared to take a chance considering the ability he flashed in his performance against the Vikings on opening night last year which saw him gallop all over what turned out to be a play-off calibre defense to the tune of 168 yards and two touchdowns.

He was interviewed over the summer and revealed: "I am trying to hit 1,500 yards. I think that I will open eyes this season definitely and it will be way better than last year. I have confidence in myself and I am excited."

Any wager on Hyde is risky but he will get plenty of chances to shine for Kelly in his up-tempo offense and I am ready to take a chance on him reaching the lofty goal he has set himself at 33/1.
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(Bennys Footnote) LA Rams Return to Los Angeles

After receiving permission to void its lease on the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri during the 2015 season, the team officially filed an application to relocate to Los Angeles on January 4, 2016, where it would play at the City of Champions Stadium in Inglewood when completed; construction began in December 2015 and the opening is scheduled for 2019.

In the interim, the Rams will play seven of their home games in Los Angeles, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the eighth game at Twickenham Stadium in London as part of the NFL International Series[1] until the City of Champions Stadium is complete. :fllyaway: