Darrell Henderson, Updated Rams Depth Chart After Todd Gurley's Release

The Los Angeles Rams will have a new starter in the backfield when they open the 2020 season.

Los Angeles announced Thursday it released running back Todd Gurley II, moving Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson Jr. up one spot on the depth chart.

The Rams offense will otherwise look largely the same since the team approached free agency with limited financial flexibility.

Rams Depth Chart

QB: Jared Goff, John Wolford

RB: Malcolm Brown, Darrell Henderson Jr., John Kelly

WR: Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, Josh Reynolds

TE: Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett

As doubt grew about Gurley's long-term future in Los Angeles, Henderson's stock climbed.

The 2019 third-round pick only carried the ball 39 times for 147 yards as a rookie. However, he had a monster junior season at Memphis, running for 1,909 yards and 22 scores, raising hope about his NFL prospects.

Brown, meanwhile, ran for 255 yards and five touchdowns in 69 carries in 2019. He's averaging 3.9 yards per carry through his first five years, so he won't have an unassailable lead on Henderson should he open training camp as the No. 1 running back.

With Gurley gone, one question about the Rams offense remains, because it seems unlikely Los Angeles will roll with John Wolford as the backup quarterback.

Unlike with Gurley, Los Angeles can't easily offload Jared Goff, so the two-time Pro Bowler will be the Week 1 starter.

His contract is so cumbersome that executing a Ryan Tannehill-like contingency plan might be untenable too. Whereas the Tennessee Titans could let Marcus Mariota walk in free agency after he lost the starting job to Tannehill, releasing Goff in 2021 would mean eating $58 million in dead money for a pre-June 1 cut, per Spotrac.

Still, finding an experienced backup is a must because the team would be put in a tough spot were Goff to get injured. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Blake Bortles is still considering a return to the Rams.