How does prime Todd Gurley compare to current-day RBs?

[notthatbluestuff]

Say his career didn't end the way it did and he was still putting up the same numbers he did in his prime - would you consider him up there with current  Henry, CMC, Chubb etc or even above them?

[Soko]

Not as good as Henry or Chubb, but brings more to the table as a receiver than either of them. He’d be a high end player.

[Hunter2_1]

Right up there in the top 3 or 4. He used to take over games.

[Kiwibrown]

Worse than chubb and Henry as a runner, but would be more valuable at his peak and regarded as the best in the league 

[OkeyDoke21]

His prime as in he'd have averaged around 2,000 yards and 20 tds from scrimmage, over the last 4 years?  He'd be considered the best in the league, and be entering the goat conversation right now.  He'd have LT/Faulk numbers at 28.  

Edited November 14, 2022 by OkeyDoke21

[Jeezla]

I don't think Prime Gurley would put up the numbers he was with this years version of the Rams OL. If he (or any RB) was just magically putting up 2000 total yards regardless, then yes, Gurley would be the #1 RB in the league and water would still be wet. That's kinda like asking if Chris Johnson ran for 2K every year, would we think of him as highly as CMC and Henry? Uh, duh.

Edited November 14, 2022 by Jeezla

[El Ramster]

On 11/1/2022 at 12:58 AM, Yin-Yang said:

Not as good as Henry or Chubb, but brings more to the table as a receiver than either of them. He’d be a high end player.

Not as good as Chubb? Yeah because he was better. Got damm OPOY. Still top 5 in rushing TDS!! With 42 and he hasn’t played in 3 years.. Chubb has 48.. Total TDS Chubb has 51 compared to Gurley 52.. 

 

Prime Gurley was nuts. He was basically prime LT and you couldn’t stop him.. In both passing and rushing he’ll slice you up. 

[Soko]

3 hours ago, El Ramster said:

Not as good as Chubb? Yeah because he was better. Got damm OPOY. Still top 5 in rushing TDS!! With 42 and he hasn’t played in 3 years.. Chubb has 48.. Total TDS Chubb has 51 compared to Gurley 52.. 

Prime Gurley was nuts. He was basically prime LT and you couldn’t stop him.. In both passing and rushing he’ll slice you up. 

He was a better receiver, sure. Wasn’t nearly the runner. Gurley’s career best YPC doesn’t even touch Chubb’s career worst. Touchdowns are largely opportunity based. 

Better receiver but worse runner and turned the ball over much more. I’ll take Chubb.

[Malfatron]

A comparisions thread with no poll?

[jrry32]

20 hours ago, Yin-Yang said:

He was a better receiver, sure. Wasn’t nearly the runner. Gurley’s career best YPC doesn’t even touch Chubb’s career worst. Touchdowns are largely opportunity based. 

Better receiver but worse runner and turned the ball over much more. I’ll take Chubb.

In today's NFL, that's a nutty decision. If we're talking peak Gurley, he's a step down from Chubb as a runner but a massive upgrade in the passing game. And the passing game is where teams win and lose on offense these days. Don't forget that Gurley wasn't just a great receiving HB. He was also an elite pass blocker. Chubb is a hell of a runner, but the guy is barely a factor in the passing game. 

[Soko]

8 hours ago, jrry32 said:

In today's NFL, that's a nutty decision. If we're talking peak Gurley, he's a step down from Chubb as a runner but a massive upgrade in the passing game. And the passing game is where teams win and lose on offense these days. Don't forget that Gurley wasn't just a great receiving HB. He was also an elite pass blocker. Chubb is a hell of a runner, but the guy is barely a factor in the passing game. 

Meh. If Gurley were one of those true hybrid guys that can legitimately play WR full time, like a CMC, then sure. Otherwise, I’ll take the all-time level runners from the running back position. Being a good 3DB isn’t enough to outweigh that level of running talent, for me.

[jrry32]

2 hours ago, Yin-Yang said:

Meh. If Gurley were one of those true hybrid guys that can legitimately play WR full time, like a CMC, then sure. Otherwise, I’ll take the all-time level runners from the running back position. Being a good 3DB isn’t enough to outweigh that level of running talent, for me.

That vastly understates the impact a great receiving HB can have. Not only does it prevent you from tipping plays with personnel, but it allows you to use your HB on running downs as a weapon in the passing game. Passing attacks are what win today. Having a weapon at HB only makes your offense that much more formidable. Gurley wasn't CMC or Faulk elite as a receiver, but he was a guy who could do damage both from the backfield and while split out wide.

[Soko]

10 hours ago, jrry32 said:

That vastly understates the impact a great receiving HB can have. Not only does it prevent you from tipping plays with personnel, but it allows you to use your HB on running downs as a weapon in the passing game. Passing attacks are what win today. Having a weapon at HB only makes your offense that much more formidable. Gurley wasn't CMC or Faulk elite as a receiver, but he was a guy who could do damage both from the backfield and while split out wide.

Yup, and I’d still rather have Chubb + [insert generic 3DB here] than Gurley + [insert generic bruiser here]. Chubb’s special.

[jrry32]

23 minutes ago, Yin-Yang said:

Yup, and I’d still rather have Chubb + [insert generic 3DB here] than Gurley + [insert generic bruiser here]. Chubb’s special.

You don't need a generic bruiser if you have Gurley. He was a three-down HB and a force in the red zone. What you are clearly undervaluing is the passing-game threat you lose on running downs with Chubb. That's the value of a guy like Gurley. On 1st and 10 or 3rd and 2, you can hit him on a wheel route for a TD. Like so:

Hell, compare their peak production. Gurley's two years with McVay (per 17 games)

386 touches

2,300 yards from scrimmage

6.0 YPT

23 Total TDs

Chubb's past three years (per 17 games):

308 touches

1754 yards from scrimmage

5.7 YPT

15 total TDs

A HB who isn't a weapon in the passing game simply doesn't make the same impact.

[Soko]

26 minutes ago, jrry32 said:

You don't need a generic bruiser if you have Gurley.

That makes it even easier, then. I’ll take Chubb + [insert generic 3DB] over Gurley + nobody. 

26 minutes ago, jrry32 said:

What you are clearly undervaluing is the passing-game threat you lose on running downs with Chubb. 

I’m interested to see how you’ve come to this conclusion. Is it largely based on me not having the same opinion as you?

26 minutes ago, jrry32 said:

Hell, compare their peak production. Gurley's two years with McVay (per 17 games)

386 touches

2,300 yards from scrimmage

6.0 YPT

23 Total TDs

Chubb's past three years (per 17 games):

308 touches

1754 yards from scrimmage

5.7 YPT

15 total TDs

A HB who isn't a weapon in the passing game simply doesn't make the same impact.

*Compare their peak production when Chubb is in a timeshare and barely plays over 50% of the snaps most seasons, on a pedestrian team that we can agree got put in less running situations, and Gurley’s playing time between 81%-86%.* No doubt the usage still doesn’t balance out exactly the same because of Gurley’s utilization in the passing game, but that’s not exactly an honest comparison. Chubb’s timeshare split has way more to do with having Kareem Hunt than it does him being an exhausted, bumbling idiot on 3rd down. Unfortunately (for Chubb’s bulk production), his backup wasn’t…Malcolm Brown. It was a Pro-Bowler in his prime.

0.3 YPT difference between the two despite Gurley getting more than three times the amount of targets and averaging 10+ yards per reception…really displays the difference between the two on the ground.

The bigger knock on Chubb is that if you gave him Derrick Henry amount of touches, it’s questionable whether his all-time efficiency remains. It’s a fair question, but it’s impossible to prove a negative, just like it’s impossible to prove how much better Chubbs’ numbers would be in a better offense.