Los Angeles Rams: Best Options at Quarterback?
With the 2016 quarterback draft class not considered very strong, the Los Angeles Rams should look elsewhere to improve their position behind center.
It appears that the Los Angeles Rams are in the market for a new quarterback…again.
The current names at the position for the team include Nick Foles, Case Keenum and Sean Mannion, the latter a third-round pick in 2015. Foles was benched in favor of Keenum last season as the Rams finished dead last in the NFL in total offense as well as passing yards per game.
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Options? Two players often considered for Jeff Fisher‘s club are still technically under contract…for now. They would be San Francisco 49ers signal-caller Colin Kaepernick and Washington’s Robert Griffin III. The latter is much more likely though as a division rival likely wouldn’t chance Kaepernick be successful with a heated division rival. Either way, Griffin is the more talented of the two.
The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012, Griffin led Washington to the playoffs that season, helping the team erase a 3-6 start. But injuries and attitude problems derailed a once-promising career in the nation’s capital. And according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio (also detailed by Will Brinson of CBS Sports), he could be had for cheap.
“Per a league source,” said Florio, “Washington would take anything they could get for Griffin – even a seventh-round draft pick”.
That doesn’t mean the Rams should take the bait though.
Washington picked up Griffin’s $16.15 million option for the 2016 season, a ridiculous number for a player that may not even end up a starter. And unless another team feels Griffin can absolutely be the starter going into 2016, he’s not a viable trade target. While he may still not come with a low price tag, he can be had for much cheaper than a $16 million.
On the other side, a viable trade option for the Rams could be New England Patriots back-up Jimmy Garoppolo, at least according to one observer of Fisher’s club. An enticing possibility, Turf Show Times’ Brandon Bate brought up the possibility of trading one of the Rams’ two second-round draft picks for the second-year player.
The 2014 second-round pick has completed 20-of-31 passes in his career, throwing for 188 yards and a touchdown in 11 games while learning behind future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady.
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Garoppolo is theoretically better than arguably every quarterback available in this year’s draft. And while it is a bold move, he could challenge for the starting spot and provide the team with a long-term future starter.
Unfortunately, it seems we have been down this path before with this franchise and this position, one of a few reasons the Rams haven’t reached the playoffs since 2004 and haven’t enjoyed a winning season since ’03.