Fansided

St. Louis Rams in desperate straits at running back

By Dani Bostick

Nov 16, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Tre Mason smiles prior to the game against the the Denver Broncos at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 16, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Tre Mason smiles prior to the game against the the Denver Broncos at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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The St. Louis Rams’ running back situation has gone from bad to worse.

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With Tre Mason and Todd Gurley, the St. Louis Rams should have two of the more talented running backs in the NFL on their roster. Instead, both Mason and Gurley are injured, putting the Rams in a vulnerable position going into the regular season.

The Rams drafted Gurley out of Georgia with their first-round pick even though he was still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered during a November game against Auburn. Gurley was a calculated risk in terms of his readiness for the regular season.

To contrast, the Rams were counting on a healthy Mason, their 2014 third-round pick who had a strong rookie season.  Given Gurley’s situation, it was a very unwelcome happenstance when Mason went down with a strained hamstring in Saturday’s preseason game.

With Gurley cleared for practice but not expected to play in the first regular season game, and Mason nursing his injury, the Rams are facing a crisis at running back. While both players are not expected to miss many games, there is a sharp dropoff in talent on the depth chart after the Rams two headliners.

Benny Cunningham, an undrafted free agent signing from 2013, is currently third on the Rams depth chart. He tallied five yards in five rushing attempts on Saturday, along with two catches for 32 yards. Cunningham is at just 65 yards over the entire preseason thus far, and ran for a scant 246 yards during the 2014 season.  He will see a larger role once the regular season starts, but he lacks the talent and dynamism of Gurley and Mason. Isaiah Pead and Malcolm Brown could also be called on to fill in.

Though his availability for the first regular season game is in doubt, Mason attempted to downplay the severity of his injury saying via NFL.com, “It was just a little tweak. It’s just tight. It got a little sore.”

Unfortunately for the Rams, that “little tweak” has turned a questionable situation at running back into a near-crisis.

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