Rapoport: Rams RB Todd Gurley 'isn't ready yet,' not expected to play Week 1

While the Rams practiced on one field, a pad-less rookie ran routes against air and caught passes. He looked completely normal, which is the curse of Todd Gurley, their first-round pick. He's so athletic that even when he's rated at 90 percent on a surgically repaired knee, he looks 100 percent. But make no mistake, Gurley isn't ready yet. He won't play in the preseason. I'm told the Rams don't even expect him to be ready for the season. They believe he'll miss the first couple games, not wanting to risk injury until he's ready. The ligament is strong, but the area around it isn't there yet. With so much invested in a player compared to a young Adrian Peterson, St. Louis will be cautious. But the future is so bright for Gurley, team personnel can barely contain themselves.

Gurley is widely considered to be the best running back in the 2015 draft class, but he’s recovering from a November ACL tear. He’ll be nine months into his recovery in August, but he avoided the PUP list at the start of training camp, which is a good sign for his early season availability, though he may not play in Week 1. Typically, an athlete can return to their sport six months after surgery, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be game-ready. Prospective owners should draft Tre Mason or DeAngelo Williams as insurance. When Gurley returns, he should provide high end RB2 numbers if he begins to get starter’s touches.