Todd Gurley Screwed Over Saquon Barkley in Future Contract Talks

The Los Angeles Rams looked to have the greatest running back of this generation in Todd Gurley while he was still on his rookie contract. After his third year in the league, the Rams rewarded him with a massive four-year, $60 million contract. That turned to be a huge mistake for the Rams. He developed arthritis in his knee, and his production diminished as a result.

On Thursday, the cap-strapped Rams released Gurley from his contract in an effort to free up money. Perhaps the biggest loser in this whole situation isn't Gurley, but New York Giants rusher Saquon Barkley.

Barkley is under contract for the next two years, and that doesn't include the fifth-year option, due to him being a first-round pick in 2018. The path was there for Barkley, with Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys both holding out for a new deal after their third NFL season. But Gurley's struggles with injury have only fortified the narrative that running backs are too risky to pay, and that will seriously hurt Barkley's market.

Barkley is a once-in-a-generation athlete and a freak of nature. But since the Giants haven't had success through his first two seasons, his role is being badmouthed by the anti-running back regime. When it comes time for him to sign a new deal, it'll be almost impossible for analysts not to draw red flags stemming from Gurley's disastrous contract with the Rams.