The Rams made perhaps the most surprising pick of the top 10 earlier tonight, drafting Georgia running back Todd Gurley with the 10th overall selection. The pick prompted Rams running back Zac Stacy to publish a tweet that simply read “Yikes,” before he later deleted it. And according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Gurley selection also pushed Stacy to request a trade, an idea the Rams are open to.
Stacy, 24, had a strong rookie season in 2013, racking up 973 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns, as he spent most of the year as the primary back in St. Louis. However, he ceded playing time and touches to Tre Mason last season, totaling just 293 yards and a TD on 76 carries.
Gurley may not be ready to play in Week 1 of the 2015 campaign, but with Mason’s stock on the rise, and Benny Cunningham and Isaiah Pead also still in the mix, the Rams’ depth chart is getting crowded at the running back spot. If the team can get anything of value for Stacy, it may make sense to move on.
A fifth-round pick in 2013, Stacy’s contract makes him a viable trade chip — he’s currently in line for salaries worth just $585K in 2015 and $675K in 2014, and he’d only leave about $88K in dead money on St. Louis’ cap if the club traded him.
With a number of intriguing running back prospects available on day two of the draft, I wouldn’t expect any team to rush to give up a pick for Stacy, but perhaps a club that misses out on its top targets or opts to fill other holes would kick the tires on the Vanderbilt product before the end of the weekend.