r" issue late last year C.J. Anderson Jersey , it sounds like McVay is committing to more of both in 2019."That was NFL Network’s Steve Wyche nearly two months ago on the injury Los Angeles Rams RB Just Todd Gurley was suffering from at the end of the regular season.The saga of Gurley’s knee has taken plenty of twists and turns since Super Bowl LIII, the latest coming yesterday when Rams HC McVay and Gurley, among other Rams, addressed convened media as the Rams began their official offseason program.Given Gurley’s jobshare in the postseason with RB C.J. Anderson who wasn’t even on the team until Week 16, it was fair to anticipate a reduced role for Gurley in 2019. Whatever the “wear and tear” issue which might or might not have been related to the arthritis he’s supposedly suffering from, continuing to give Gurley as many touches seemed perhaps unlikely.Welp:(4:55 mark for the relevant question)It’s an interesting answer and one that matches what McVay said recently on the Rich Eisen Show:(2:22 mark for the relevant quote)So it’s worth clarifying where things stand with the 2019 NFL Draft coming in just a week.Neither McVay nor Gurley in his remarks yesterday alluded to the idea that he’s going to be fully healthy for Week 1. Obviously, as Todd himself noted, it’s somewhat impossible to know how his knee will heal over the next four months. But there was a notable lack of similarity between McVay’s comments on Todd’s injury and his response on WR Cooper Kupp where he was decidedly more specific and upbeat. That’s not to say McVay wasn’t as upbeat or optimistic about Todd, but perhaps more respectful of the unknown.Because that’s really what this is all about. The unknown of how Todd Gurley’s knee will respond. Gurley aggravated the knee in Week 1, but it responded well enough for Gurley to continue to be the bellcow. After Week 15 Eric Weddle Jersey , not so much.The anxiety is going to be unavoidable. We just don’t know when Gurley’s knee will react like it did in Week 1 and when it will react like it did in Week 15.But clearly, less is more in this case. The less Gurley exposes himself, the more likely he remains healthy.If we’re to take McVay’s words to account though, it sounds as if we shouldn’t expect to see Gurley much less than we did throughout the last two seasons.Here were Gurley’s carries per week:That’s a pretty stark decline over the course of the season without any major loss of work due to personnel. While Brown was injured in Week 13, the Rams didn’t respond with any personnel change at running back; moreover, neither John Kelly nor Justin Davis picked up any more work than Brown had in backing up Gurley.In the first 12 games of the season, Gurley accounted for 83.83% of the team’s carries. In the next two without Brown, that number barely moved at all increasing to 85.19%. In the playoff jobshare with Anderson across three games? Gurley accounted for 56.96%, 46.38% and 66.15% of the Rams’ carries.So what does being a “focal point” or “central point” mean? Does it mean work rates above 80% and workloads of more than 15 carries per game? Does it mean less and allow for an expanded role for Brown? Do the Rams intend on taking a running back in the draft to take on that role?It’s hard to say right now.But the Rams can’t simply use Gurley with reckless abandon. They re-signed him to a massive deal in July worth $60m with 75% of it guaranteed at signing. The earliest the Rams could get out of the deal would be the 2021 offseason and that would incur dead cap space of more than $8m.So the Rams likely are committed to Todd Gurley for the next three years. Managing his workload and limiting the wear and tear will be an absolutely vital part of Sean McVay’s job. Clearly in 2018, they didn’t manage it well. It’s probably too far to suggest it cost them the Super Bowl Austin Blythe Jersey , but only just. And the distance between that idea and reality is probably something close to the distance between Todd Gurley helping to decide the Rams’ future and a future in which he’s sitting on the sideline.After all, it’s a game of inches. Todd Gurley is touted as an MVP contender. Jared Goff ranks among the top QBs in yardage and TD throws. Sean McVay already owns one NFL Coach of the Year award.Here are some lesser-known names that are also a big part of why the Los Angeles Rams are 8-0 this season: Andrew Whitworth, Rodger Saffold, John Sullivan, Austin Blythe and Rob Havenstein.They are the five guys who are opening running lanes for Gurley, do their best to keep Goff's jersey clean, make McVay's play designs work — and were an overwhelming pick as the NFL's top offensive line in voting by a panel of 10 football writers for The Associated Press.The Rams got eight first-place votes and finished with a total of 92 of a possible 100 points in balloting released Friday."It's no coincidence that arguably the NFL's best and most dynamic offense has the league's top offensive line leading the way, with big boys up front such as left tackle Andrew Whitworth and left guard Rodger Saffold," New York-based AP voter Dennis Waszak Jr. said.The New Orleans Saints finished second with 76 points, followed by the Pittsburgh Steelers with 73. Then there was a big drop-off Sean Mannion Jersey , with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs tied for fourth with 47.The Steelers and Eagles each received one of the remaining first-place votes.A total of 20 teams were named on at least one ballot. The Rams, Saints and Steelers were the only offensive lines that appeared on every ballot.The AP voters looked at each line as a unit.Whitworth, a first-team All-Pro pick last season, has "been the anchor" for the Rams up front, said AP voter Rob Maaddi, who is based in Philadelphia.Saffold made the All-Pro second team. Otherwise, LA's linemen might not necessarily be among the highest-rated at their positions, but they work together so well."I believe that it's a case where these guys understand what we're trying to get done. ... They have a better understanding of what's happening, and where the quarterback is in pass-protection downs, and what the runner's intent is in the running game Jamon Brown Jersey ," Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer said. "I think when everybody does that, then you have a chance to — whoever's grading — grade out better than you think."One key has been continuity.The Rams employed the same starting five for 15 games last season — including Whitworth at left tackle, Saffold at left guard, Sullivan at center, and Havenstein at right tackle — before resting everybody in Week 17. And, plugging in Blythe for the suspended Jamon Brown at right guard to begin this season, they have used the same starting O-line in every game so far.Under McVay's guidance, the team currently ranks second in points per game at 33, second in yards per game at 442.6 and first in rushing yards at 150.9.Gurley's excellence helps, of course. But he also has had help from Whitworth and Co. along the way to leading the NFL in rushing with 800 yards and in touchdowns with 15 Rob Havenstein Jersey , 11 on the ground.The Saints' line has the benefit of playing in front of some stars, too."Yes, Drew Brees makes everyone around him better," Nashville-based voter Teresa M. Walker said. "But the Saints have allowed both a league-low nine sacks and the fewest quarterback hits with 22. They also have an NFL-high 12 TDs rushing."And the best argument for rating the Steelers' line among the elite might very well be noting who has not been in uniform for them this season: running back Le'Veon Bell.While he has been sitting out, backup James Conner has been superb, topping AFC runners with 599 yards and scoring nine touchdowns, taking advantage of space created by the likes of David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey.As Maaddi explained: "They've helped James Conner put up Le'Veon Bell numbers. Enough said."The rankings:1. Rams2. Saints3. Steelers4. (tie) Eagles4. (tie) Chiefs6. Patriots7. Chargers8. Panthers9. Cowboys10. PackersAP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Thousand Oaks, California, contributed to this report.