Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/wp-content/themes/flex-mag/functions.php on line 939
Notice: Trying to get property 'count' of non-object in /var/www/wp-content/themes/flex-mag/functions.php on line 1008
Share
Share
Share
Email
The 2016 NFL Draft will be a turning point for the Los Angeles Rams. They traded two first round picks, two second round picks, and two third round picks over the next two years to move up to the No. 1 overall pick and select California junior quarterback Jared Goff. The move could be the spark the Rams needed, or it could be a disaster that sets the team back for years to come. The weight of the franchise is on the 21-year-old quarterback to lead the Rams in their homecoming. However, pressure is nothing new for Jared Goff.
Goff was thrown to the wolves immediately at Cal after being named the starting quarterback as a true freshman. Despite Cal finishing the season 1-11, Goff still managed to break the school’s single season passing yards record. He followed it up by breaking his own record as a sophomore. Then Goff broke it again as a junior when he led the Golden Bears to their first victory in a bowl game since the 2008 season. Goff played a major role in the Golden Bears’ turnaround during his three years at Cal. He can do the same thing for the Rams.
Goff has all the tools to become the next great Rams quarterback. He has an NFL arm; he’s accurate; he handles a pass rush well. Goff is mobile. He’s got superstar written all over him. The biggest learning curve for Goff will be adjusting to a pro-style offense, after taking almost all of his snaps at Cal from the pistol or the shotgun. However, plenty of quarterbacks have come from a spread offense and adjusted well to playing under center.
The pick was still a big risk despite all signs pointing towards a successful career for Goff. The Rams traded six crucial draft picks to move up for him. The Rams were on the other side of a similar deal when they dealt the Robert Griffin III pick to the Redskins in 2012. As a result of the deal, the Rams selected eight players including Michael Brockers, Alec Ogletree, Janoris Jenkins, Greg Robinson, and Stedman Bailey. All five of those guys started and contributed at a high level for the Rams. The Rams made out like bandits in this deal, and the Titans may be in a similar position after this deal.
But where did that trade get the Rams? They’ve muddled around .500 every year since the deal. Meanwhile, the Redskins have made the playoffs twice with two different quarterbacks. Losing those picks didn’t hurt them. The Rams needed to take a risk and making this trade was just that.
Another thing that the Rams, as well as their fans, need to do is simple: don’t count your chickens before they hatch. The Rams took Sam Bradford with the first overall pick in the 2010 draft. Bradford produced a record-breaking rookie year in which he won the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and put the Rams a game away from the playoffs. He then suffered a series of injuries that kept him on the sidelines and led to his trade from the Rams in 2015. After the 2010 season, I thought the Rams a franchise quarterback, and it turned out they didn’t. Things change quickly in the NFL. Let’s hope Goff doesn’t follow the same past as Bradford did.
This trade will be the defining moment of general manager Les Snead’s time with the Rams. This is the deal that will make or break the Rams. They wanted to have a franchise player at quarterback for their homecoming to Los Angeles, and they got a California native who couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity. The Jared Goff era has begun in Los Angeles, and I’m optimistic it will be a great one.
Steve Rebeiro is a staff writer for Rams Talk and an undergraduate student at Marquette University. For more of his opinions, follow him on Twitter here.
Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in /var/www/wp-content/themes/flex-mag/functions.php on line 939
Notice: Trying to get property 'count' of non-object in /var/www/wp-content/themes/flex-mag/functions.php on line 1008
The 2016 NFL Draft will be a turning point for the Los Angeles Rams. They traded two first round picks, two second round picks, and two third round picks over the next two years to move up to the No. 1 overall pick and select California junior quarterback Jared Goff. The move could be the spark the Rams needed, or it could be a disaster that sets the team back for years to come. The weight of the franchise is on the 21-year-old quarterback to lead the Rams in their homecoming. However, pressure is nothing new for Jared Goff.
Goff was thrown to the wolves immediately at Cal after being named the starting quarterback as a true freshman. Despite Cal finishing the season 1-11, Goff still managed to break the school’s single season passing yards record. He followed it up by breaking his own record as a sophomore. Then Goff broke it again as a junior when he led the Golden Bears to their first victory in a bowl game since the 2008 season. Goff played a major role in the Golden Bears’ turnaround during his three years at Cal. He can do the same thing for the Rams.
Goff has all the tools to become the next great Rams quarterback. He has an NFL arm; he’s accurate; he handles a pass rush well. Goff is mobile. He’s got superstar written all over him. The biggest learning curve for Goff will be adjusting to a pro-style offense, after taking almost all of his snaps at Cal from the pistol or the shotgun. However, plenty of quarterbacks have come from a spread offense and adjusted well to playing under center.
The pick was still a big risk despite all signs pointing towards a successful career for Goff. The Rams traded six crucial draft picks to move up for him. The Rams were on the other side of a similar deal when they dealt the Robert Griffin III pick to the Redskins in 2012. As a result of the deal, the Rams selected eight players including Michael Brockers, Alec Ogletree, Janoris Jenkins, Greg Robinson, and Stedman Bailey. All five of those guys started and contributed at a high level for the Rams. The Rams made out like bandits in this deal, and the Titans may be in a similar position after this deal.
But where did that trade get the Rams? They’ve muddled around .500 every year since the deal. Meanwhile, the Redskins have made the playoffs twice with two different quarterbacks. Losing those picks didn’t hurt them. The Rams needed to take a risk and making this trade was just that.
Another thing that the Rams, as well as their fans, need to do is simple: don’t count your chickens before they hatch. The Rams took Sam Bradford with the first overall pick in the 2010 draft. Bradford produced a record-breaking rookie year in which he won the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and put the Rams a game away from the playoffs. He then suffered a series of injuries that kept him on the sidelines and led to his trade from the Rams in 2015. After the 2010 season, I thought the Rams a franchise quarterback, and it turned out they didn’t. Things change quickly in the NFL. Let’s hope Goff doesn’t follow the same past as Bradford did.
This trade will be the defining moment of general manager Les Snead’s time with the Rams. This is the deal that will make or break the Rams. They wanted to have a franchise player at quarterback for their homecoming to Los Angeles, and they got a California native who couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity. The Jared Goff era has begun in Los Angeles, and I’m optimistic it will be a great one.
Steve Rebeiro is a staff writer for Rams Talk and an undergraduate student at Marquette University. For more of his opinions, follow him on Twitter here.
Recommended for you