NFL Rumors: Should the Panthers sign Todd Gurley as Christian McCaffrey's replacement?
Todd Gurley is still without a team. With Christian McCaffrey incapacitated, one team in immediate need of a running back is the Carolina Panthers. Even though the Carolina Panthers are 3-0, their win against the Houston Texans came at a price.
Star running back Christian McCaffrey had to leave the field after a 2-yard gain. He would go into the trainer's enclosure for more than 20 minutes before leaving for the locker room and not re-emerging. It makes it seem as if the injury is serious enough that a replacement will be needed.
League source confirms Christian McCaffrey expected to miss a few weeks with his hamstring injury, as reported by @RapSheet.
Key will be not rushing him back and McCaffrey not overdoing his rehab, which is what happened last year.
Todd Gurley could replace Christian McCaffrey
As the Carolina Panthers look for a running back, one option for them could be Todd Gurley. Gurley is still a free agent and the team would benefit from having his experience.
The statistics of Todd Gurley and Christian McCaffrey are also very similar. Both have more than 4 yards per rushing attempt. But in terms of absolute numbers, Todd Gurley is far ahead even though he is just a couple of years older than Christian McCaffrey.
Todd Gurley has more than 6000 rushing yards, nearly double that of Christian McCaffrey, who has just over 3300 yards. In terms of rushing touchdowns, Todd Gurley with 67 has more than double Christian McCaffrey with 30. But where Christian McCaffrey is better than Todd Gurley is in receptions, where he already has 16 as compared to Todd Gurley's 12.
With Christian McCaffrey sidelined with a strained hamstring, the Panthers are working out running back Duke Johnson today, per source.
We know that the Carolina Panthers are already trying out other running backs. But if they are serious about pedigree, they just cannot ignore Todd Gurley.
While Gurley cannot take the entire responsibility of rushing as he used to, he still has the wherewithal to succeed in tandem with other running backs.
In addition to all the stats mentioned above, another thing to note with Todd Gurley is that he is the ultimate team player. He has never been someone who has played to pad his stats and therefore the team does not have to worry about him being a malign influence coming into the dressing room.
Todd Gurley is too good to be without a team. Christian McCaffrey's injury is unfortunate, but it might just allow Gurley a path back in. For the Carolina Panthers, once McCaffrey is back, they could end up with a fearsome running game with both of them around.