St. Louis Rams: Should Tre Mason be worried?

By Luis Tirado Jr. | Jun 22, 2015

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Todd Gurley (Georgia) poses for a photo with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected as the number 10th overall pick to the St. Louis Rams in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

When running back Tre Mason found out the St. Louis Rams drafted Todd Gurley with their No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, being worried about his status on the team was naturally expected. It was a shock to many since the Rams’ rushing attack wasn’t all that bad considering Mason had a decent rookie season. Last year, he ran for 765 yards and four touchdowns on 179 carries..

Considering he also was a receiving threat with 148 yards on 16 receptions for 1 touchdown, everything was set for him to be a legitimate starter this upcoming season. With Gurley in the mix, many believe Mason might be on borrowed time.

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Keep in mind that Gurley is still recovering from his torn ACL surgery that might actually land him on the physically unable to perform list as he enters his rookie season.

Mason should use this as motivation to prove that he is indeed worthy of being a starter as he should give the Rams the best chance to launch a potent rushing attack by capitalizing on his accomplishments of last year.

In an article written by Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, here is what Mason had to say about what kind of mentality he’s in heading into 2015 with Gurley in the mix:

"“At the end of the day, the goal is to win a championship and the only way I can do that is to just keep doing me, to become the best me I can be,’’ he said. “I’ll just continue to chase greatness. That’s been the mindset since school; find the record and go out and break it.’’"

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Needless to say, Mason has a good head on his shoulders. At the end of the day, all he can do is suit up and give the decision makers of the Rams plenty of reasons to keep him penciled in as a starting option. So far during organized team activities, Mason has executed well and hasn’t looked phased in one bit.

Mason shouldn’t really be worried about anything really since Gurley has a long road ahead before he’s completely ready to resume regular football activities. While Gurley has a promising NFL career ahead of him, Mason will more than likely be the Week 1 starter against the Seattle Seahawks and hopefully put on a top performance to prove his worth.

Dec 7, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Tre Mason (27) carries the ball against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Since Mason has a knack at finding the right gaps created by his offensive linemen, if he can continue with his burst speed and really push the envelope, there really would be no reason for the Rams to rush Gurley back sooner than later from his recovery. If Mason can continue his consistency of last year and build upon it, it’ll be his starting job to lose in the grand scheme of things once Gurley is ready to make his eventual NFL debut.

Considering that Mason lost about 5 pounds this offseason to improve his overall speed, he’s ready to continue proving he’s the best option to start at running back for the Rams. With the extra speed and plenty of starting time, he could very easily surpass his stats of last year.

All Mason has to continue doing is not letting the whispers get to him that he might be demoted at some point this season and just focus on putting his team on the forefront of the NFC West. If he can do that and let his performance on the football field do all the speaking, he shouldn’t have anything to worry about when it comes to his status on the team.

Next: St. Louis Rams: Why extend Nick Foles?

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