The St. Louis Rams didn't invest a top ten pick into Georgia running back Todd Gurley so that he could play second fiddle to Tre Mason. But Gurley is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last November and is expected to miss at least a handful of regular season games. That means that the starting duties will fall to Mason, at least in the beginning of the season. That is not necessarily a bad thing for the Rams.
ESPN Senior Writer Eric Karabell lists Mason as a potential breakout candidate at running back for the 2015 season. He cites Gurley's extended absence as an opportunity for Mason to receive a full workload.
"Nobody's saying rookie Todd Gurley doesn't have the brightest of futures, but he's coming off a major knee surgery and Mason, impressive at times as a rookie, isn't likely to simply step out of the way," Karabell wrote. "I think Gurley doesn't play until October and even then, that might be too soon. If Mason has a great September, who knows?"
Mason, a 2014 third-round pick, carried the ball 179 times for 765 yards (4.3 YPC) and four touchdowns in 12 games last season. He also caught 16 passes for 148 yards and one score. He possesses the necessary quickness to make defenders miss, especially in space, but will be playing behind a questionable offensive line.
Greg Robinson, last year's No. 1 overall pick, will assume the starting left tackle job from Day 1 which should provide a boost to the running game. But St. Louis is projected to start two rookies on the right side of their line (Robert Havenstein and Jamon Brown). Rams fans should be crossing their fingers that newly acquired quarterback Nick Foles can improve the passing game and open up some running lanes for Mason.
