Los Angeles Rams releasing Todd Gurley shows why Bears have the right plan at RB

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In case you missed it, Olin Kreutz had my favorite reaction to the Bears trading for Nick Foles on Wednesday:

Foles makes Chicago's quarterback situation better. But the Bears still need to do something about having the fourth-worst rushing offense on a per-play basis in the NFL in 2019 (3.69 yards/carry). 

The actual running backs the Bears have on their roster are not the problem. In fact, the Bears have done a good job staffing their running back depth chart in the Ryan Pace era. 

(Don’t yell at me about Mike Davis. That was a bust, but the Bears quickly got out from under it to get a compensatory pick, which they traded away for Foles.)

I bring this up is in light of Todd Gurley being released by the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday. Gurley is 25 and had 30 rushing touchdowns from 2017 to 2018, the most in the NFL, while carving up 2,556 yards on the ground. He led the NFL in yards from scrimmage in 2017 (2,093) and was rewarded with a four-year, $57.5 million contract. 

Two years later? Poof. He’s gone. 

The harsh lesson is that NFL teams should not give out massive, long-term contracts to running backs. Gurley looked invincible until he wasn’t. The decline happens quickly — in Gurley’s case, it was arthritis in his knee. Almost overnight, he went from being one of the NFL’s best running backs to averaging just 3.8 yards per carry in 2019. 

Meanwhile, unrestricted free agents Derrick Henry and Melvin Gordon still haven’t signed anywhere as of Thursday afternoon. Devonta Freeman, cut by the Falcons earlier this year, hasn't found a home yet either. 

RELATED: Foles trade means there's a QB competition coming to Bears

Tying this back to the Bears: They only have a little more than $3.9 million committed to running backs in 2019. Only four teams have put less money into the position as of this writing. 

The Bears still need another running back, but at this point, the expectation is that it’ll be someone cheap. Gurley nor any of the big names out there fit that category.

And that’s a good thing. David Montgomery is not the problem when it comes to the Bears’ run game issues. It’s a scheme thing. The Bears needed to spend their money elsewhere, like at quarterback, right guard or outside linebacker. 

So while the Rams deal with the fallout of Gurley’s contract, the Bears can carry on with their business, not waiting for the other shoe to drop on an overpriced running back contract.

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