The Detroit Lions have an open roster spot after a roster move on Wednesday, and it sounds as if the team knows just what they want to do with it.
According to head coach Dan Campbell, the Lions still want to bring in Todd Gurley and are talking to his agents about a potential deal, which he wants to see get done “sooner rather than later” if there is an agreement between the parties.
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Lions HC Dan Campbell on RB Todd Gurley: “We have interest in Todd, we do. And we’re talking with his agent.”
He added that if a deal can be agreed to, they’d like it to get done sooner than later.
Campbell’s comments on Gurley are quite direct, and clear up any potential misconception about whether or not the Lions would be significantly interested in signing the running back. Obviously, the team does want to simply kick the tires on Gurley at this point, and are legitimately interested in adding him to the mix.
While there’s no timetable for a move, folks will simply have to stay tuned to see how things work out for Gurley and the Lions. It’s obvious there is interest on the franchise’s part, but it will be interesting to see what happens.
Lions Doing Diligence on Gurley Deal
When could a deal happen? The Lions aren’t just hashing things out with the agents, but doing dillegence on their end as well. As a result, don’t expect to hear anything about a deal soon. Gurley’s market doesn’t seem to be wide at this point, and the Lions appear to be content to wait and see what happens in the coming days. In fact, the team might even be reviewing tape ahead of thinking about their final decision in the days ahead.
Over the weekend, ESPN’s Josina Anderson was asked where things stood with the Lions and Gurley, and she reported that the team could look into more tape before making a decision, which “is not unusual” in free agency situations like this.
The Lions have a lot to think about with Gurley, namely if they want to invest in a runner that has had his share of injury concerns the last few seasons and about Gurley’s potential fit within the offense. Even with that in mind, the team could make up their mind sooner rather than later on whether to add the runner or not.
That’s true even if they are doing their diligence at this point in time.
Gurley’s NFL Stats and Highlights
Gurley’s brief foray back to Georgia didn’t go as well, but there is no question he can still bring plenty to the mix as a veteran option for a team like Detroit. Gurley has worked with Brad Holmes before and would have good harmony with incoming quarterback Jared Goff to rely on. It’s clear that no bigger deals will exist for Gurley on the market, so it’s very possible that the Lions could snap him up on a lower-term agreement for depth’s sake. Gurley’s shelf life might be dying off a bit, but there is no question he can be a solid option at 26 years old. He’s been a perennial Pro Bowl player as well as an All-Pro in the league.
In his career, Gurley has been a dependable option, rushing for over 6,000 yards with 67 rushing touchdowna and showing as the Offensive Rookie of the Year (2015) and Offensive Player of the Year (2017). Last year, Gurley only rushed for 678 yards and 9 scores, but that kind of production would make him one of the better backs in recent memory in Detroit.
Now, it’s a simple matter of waiting and seeing before making the move. The ball could clearly be in Gurley’s court with the Lions interested.
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Dan Campbell Wants Todd Gurley Deal ‘Sooner Rather Than Later’