30 Todd Gurley RB

Coach Sean McVay denies that the Rams' selection of running back Darrell Henderson was tied to Gurley's knee issues, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports. "This had to do with [Henderson's] skill set," McVay said. "He was a player that we identified as a unique playmaker."

The Rams have consistently conveyed optimism when asked about Gurley's troublesome left knee, but their offseason transactions tell a slightly different story, with the team matching Malcolm Brown's two-year, $3.25 million offer sheet from the Lions and then using the 70th overall pick on Henderson. While neither commitment is especially burdensome, this does represent a noteworthy shift from the Rams' dirt-cheap approach to their backup RB situation the past two seasons. McVay remains adamant about Gurley being a focal point of the offense, albeit with more of an effort to monitor the 24-year-old's workload. Even if everything ultimately checks out with his knee, Gurley isn't likely to match his 2017-18 average of 22.7 touches per game. His stellar track record of efficiency suggests he's capable of returning first-round fantasy value without such a massive workload, though it would be tricky on anything less than 16-18 touches per week.

Gurley said Monday that his left knee is "feeling pretty good," and he's "taking it [his recovery] day by day," Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports.

Gurley's comments come on the heels of those made on The Rich Eisen Show by coach Sean McVay, who called the running back "the focal point" of the Rams offense. Notably, Gurley was more or less a spectator during the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LIII, earning 16 combined touches in those contests. McVay claimed responsibility for not getting Gurley more involved, but Jeff Howe of The Athletic later reported the running back may be dealing with arthritis in his left knee. Gurley has plenty of time to get healthy for the 2019 season, when he's expected to be on a "pitch count" of sorts, according to McVay. At the moment, Malcolm Brown is Gurley's primary backup.

Coach Sean McVay said on The Rich Eisen Show that he expects Gurley (knee) "to be the focal point" of the Rams offense in 2019 and beyond.

After lingering issues with Gurley's left knee kept him sidelined in Weeks 16 and 17 and contained him to 16 combined touches between the NFC championship game and Super Bowl LIII, his health has been the talk of the Rams' offseason to date. Along the way, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported Gurley potentially is dealing with arthritis in that knee. The Rams opted to move on from C.J. Anderson and stick with the previous status quo of Malcolm Brown as Gurley's primary backup, which seems to confirm McVay's confidence in the stud running back. During the same conversation with Eisen, McVay reiterated Gurley will be on a "pitch count" this coming season. If that's the case, Gurley may experience a decrease in the 22.7 touches per game he managed during the first two years under McVay.

Gurley (knee) is expected to be available for the start of the Rams' offseason program April 15, Gary Klein and Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times report.

The status of Gurley's left knee will probably be the biggest storyline surrounding the Rams' offseason and that story appears to be starting on a positive note. Head coach Sean McVay declined to comment much on the subject at this week's NFL owner's meetings and specifically didn't touch on whether Gurley is dealing with arthritis or not, but he did mention the team has a plan in place to manage the running back's health going forward. Joining him in offseason workouts will be Malcolm Brown, who Los Angeles effectively decided to re-sign over C.J. Anderson.

Gurley has arthritis in his left knee, a source has told Jeff Howe of The Athletic.

This comes on top of coach Sean McVay saying Friday his star running back may research stem cell treatment as an option to help the problematic left knee. At this point, surgery doesn't seem to be in the cards for Gurley, but it's definitely a problem and explains his modest usage of just 30 total carries during the team's three playoff games, all of which were close enough were the early season version of Gurley probably would have been used significantly more. The health of Gurley's knee and possible treatment options will likely be a story for entire offseason.