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It has become very clear over the past two weeks that the Los Angeles Rams are not sold on Jared Goff as a starting quarterback. Neither Sean McVay nor Les Snead would commit to him even being on the roster in 2021, claiming he was the quarterback “right now” and “right now”.
So, with the uncertainty plentiful in Los Angeles, now is a good time to consider some possible options for the Rams at quarterback going forward. Not all of those nine players will be upgraded on Goff, and not all of them would be easy to land for the Rams.
But they are still possible targets. Here are nine quarterbacks the Rams could look at in the draft, free agency and commercial market this offseason.
1 John Wolford
(AP Photo / Scott Eklund)
McVay clearly enjoys Wolford’s game, enough to start him on a less than 100% Goff in the playoff round. He showed flashes of being a capable NFL starter in the Rams’ win over the Cardinals in Week 17, so he could be an option next season.
It would also be one of the cheapest options. If the Rams are able to trade Goff and get a draft or two picks in return, Wolford’s salary of $ 780,000 would be a stark contrast to what Goff is supposed to cost them.
Even Les Snead mentioned in his media session Tuesday that Wolford has potential and said the Rams value his skills as a quarterback. There’s a lot more uncertainty with Wolford than the other veterans on this list, but he would be the more affordable choice.
2 Matthew Stafford, Lions
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Stafford appears to be the most logical and likely commercial target for the Rams at quarterback. The Lions want to get away from him and given his age, he won’t command the draw that Deshaun Watson would make and he fits the mold of an aggressive type quarterback McVay would like under center.
David Carr has pitched the Rams as a potential landing point for Stafford and that makes sense. With Brad Holmes now general manager of Detroit, he might have some interest in the Rams quarterback as the Lions try to rebuild themselves. They can also operate the financial aspect, with both quarters having similar contracts.
3 Deshaun Watson, Texans
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Watson is an extreme shot for the Rams. The main reason is that the Rams don’t have the capital project to strike a deal with the Texans. With no first-round picks in 2021, and Watson would likely cost at least two or three first-round picks, Houston would be forced to wait a year to use one of the Rams’ early players.
It’s not something the Texans will want to do, especially with the arrival of a new head coach. Not to mention that Watson would cost the Texans $ 21.6 million if traded, compared to his cap of just $ 15.9 million in 2021. That’s a losing proposition for Houston.
Nothing can be completely ruled out, but it’s hard to see the Texans loving the Rams as a business partner without a first-round pick to offer.
4 Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
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Mond is someone the Rams might appreciate about the project. He’s a mobile quarterback with a good arm and all the traits you want to see in a quarterback, but he needs to improve his decision-making and his accuracy – which he started doing last season.
He could be a target in the second round of the draft if the Rams insist on passing Goff. Mond wouldn’t need to start right away and could potentially stay behind a veteran or Wolford for a year, but he should be on the Rams’ radar for 2021 and beyond.
This season at Texas A&M, he threw 19 touchdown passes and just three interceptions, posting a career-best score of 146.9. He also ran for 1,609 yards and 22 touchdowns during his college career, showing the mobility McVay seems to covet.
5 Jamie Newman, Forest of Awakening
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Newman transferred from Wake Forest to Georgia ahead of the 2020 season, but then eventually retired, so he hasn’t played for over a year. The Senior Bowl will be important for Newman, especially without a traditional combine, but he showed potential in 2019 as a Wake Forest starter.
He threw for 2,868 yards and 26 touchdowns with 11 interceptions in 12 games, while rushing for 574 yards and six touchdowns. As a true double-threat quarterback with a good enough stature (6-foot-2, 235 pounds), he could grab McVay’s attention ahead of the draft and be an option in the middle rounds.
6 Kyle Trask, Florida
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Trask will likely be drafted on Day 2, potentially ending up as one of the best quarterbacks outside of the first round. He racked up 4,283 yards and threw 43 touchdowns with just eight interceptions this season in Florida, finishing fourth in the Heisman poll.
He’s not the runner that Mond and Newman are, but Trask is mobile enough to play outside the pocket. He might not hit the Rams at No.57, and I’m not sure they should trade to draft him, but Trask has the size and potential of the NFL, making him a possible target for the Rams in the draft.
7 Jameis Winston, free agency
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Winston took on a one-year, very little money-guaranteed contract with the Saints last year to spend a season learning from Sean Payton and Drew Brees. He only threw 11 assists with New Orleans and will now hit free agency again. Could McVay try to bring in the gunslinger?
He’s got a big arm and isn’t afraid to throw himself into the field, but he’s also prone to rolling – more than even Goff. Winston threw 30 interceptions in 2019 with the Buccaneers, 12 more than in any other season, but he also threw for a league-high 5,109 yards.
He’s a booming quarterback and while McVay wants a quarterback who takes better care of football, Winston could be a cheap free agency option if Los Angeles can’t afford to trade for someone. ‘one like Stafford or Watson.
8 Sam Darnold, Jets
(AP Photo / Ashley Landis)
Darnold has played on bad Jets teams for the past three years and while he shouldn’t be apologized for a bad play himself, he hasn’t received much help from the rest of the team. This season, he’s thrown for just 2,208 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 games, which are unsightly numbers for an NFL starting quarterback.
But he still has potential and was No. 3 in the draft three years ago for a reason. He struggles with the accuracy and safety of the ball, but he can throw shots at all levels of the pitch and has had some defining role plays in his career.
Acquiring him would require a trade, and it would mostly be a sideways move for the Rams without improving the position much, if at all, but it would be a lot cheaper than Goff and the Rams could get him a reasonable contract for two more. seasons.
9 Marcus Mariota, Raiders
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Mariota has only appeared in one game for the Raiders this season, playing Derek Carr’s relief against the Chargers. He completed 17 of 28 passes for 226 yards with one touchdown and one interception, adding 88 rushing yards and another rushing score.
He’s encountered plenty of obstacles on the road during his NFL career, but what he’s shown in that little chunk of action might be enough to give him another shot. He’s still under contract with the Raiders in 2021 with a cap of $ 10.7million, but there’s no guaranteed money left.
There’s no question about his mobility and he’s not throwing interceptions at a high rate, so McVay and the Rams could give him insight as a possible trade target. They shouldn’t be counting on him to be a top starter, but in a competitive scenario, they could do worse than the former No.2 pick.
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