2012-2016- The Fisher Era

Post-Draft Review: Looking at the 2016 L.A. Rams offense

Photo Credit: Harry How/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Rams entered the 2016 NFL Draft with a pressing need to improve an offense that ranked last in several passing categories in 2015.

Following suit to that mindset, the front office used five of their six draft picks on offensive skill positions. This was highlighted by their move up to the first overall selection where they took California quarterback Jared Goff. The Rams also selected a couple of potential high-impact players in the fourth round in Western Kentucky tight end Tyler Higbee and South Carolina wide receiver Pharoh Cooper.

With the new additions to roster in place, here’s a look at the Rams’ offense:

Quarterback

The Rams, with the selection of Goff, may have finally found the franchise quarterback that the organization has lacked for the last several years.

The 21-year-old Goff will still have to earn his starting spot in training camp and the preseason, but it’s his to lose. Goff has the talent to be the starting quarterback from the get-go, due to his strong arm and great pocket mobility. His decision-making may be questionable at times, but that’s an aspect of his game that the Rams must allow him to improve on the field in his first year.

However, behind Goff is where the questions truly lie at the position. The team currently has four total quarterbacks on the roster with Goff, Case Keenum, Nick Foles, and Sean Mannion. This will likely result in movement via trade, with Foles being the most likely target.

Keenum signed a first-round tender earlier this offseason that will pay him about $3.6 million next season. Mannion has limited experience, but he’s a young quarterback that’s worth holding on to.

The bottom line here is that Goff should become the starting quarterback at some point early in the preseason, and Foles could be on his way out in the near the future.

Running Back

Todd Gurley will be the starting running back heading into the 2016 season following a phenomenal rookie campaign that saw him capture the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Gurley has already shown that he’s a game-changing talent that has the ability to carry the offense on his shoulders. That said, the lack of consistent quarterback play limited his effectiveness in the second half of the 2015 season.

The addition of Goff should help create more opportunities for Gurley in the running game with teams loading up the box at a much lower frequency. He should also see much more involvement as a receiving option in the passing attack.

However, things get a little murky on the depth chart behind Gurley. Tre Mason, Benny Cunningham, and Trey Watts will head into training camp competing for the primary backup duties. This will result in Malcolm Brown, Aaron Green, and Chase Reynolds all fighting for a final roster spot.

Wide Receiver

The receiving core has more added youth via the draft with the addition of Cooper and Southern Mississippi’s Mike Thomas. The team will also have several of the same faces returning such as Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, and Brian Quick.

However, Los Angeles still doesn’t possess a true standout No. 1 receiver. This has been a prominent issue for the franchise since the days of Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. There are a couple of candidates to fulfill that role such as Quick and Thomas due to their size and physicality. However, Quick has never really recovered from his 2014 shoulder injury, and Thomas fits the bill as a diamond in the rough.

There’s also the potential for Austin and Cooper to develop into a dynamic speedy wideout duo. These two wideouts excel at making big plays after the catch on short-to-intermediate routes, and they can be factors playing out of the backfield because of their speed.

The Rams may not have a go-to receiver, but there’s potential with this current to develop into something productive and reliable.

Tight End

This is the position after the quarterback that could see the most change within the offense.

Although the Rams decided to part ways with Jared Cook earlier in the offseason, Lance Kendricks still remains on the roster. The front office also took upon themselves to add depth to that spot by selecting a pair of tight ends in Higbee and Carolina State’s Temarrick Hemingway.

Los Angeles may have found a suitable replacement with Higbee falling to them early in the fourth round. He was arguably the most talented pass-catching tight end in this year’s draft due to his unique combination of athleticism and speed.

His skill set helps him consistently gain separation in the open field from defenders that often leads to big plays after the catch. He also has soft hands that allow him to be a dependable option in the passing game. There are question marks surrounding him due to an off-the-field incident that occurred just prior to the draft, but the Rams felt that he was worth the risk.

Los Angeles’ decision to take Hemingway was a bit of a head-scratcher given that the team had taken Higbee two rounds earlier. He’s clearly a development project, but his addition does bring much-needed depth to the position.

That said, the duo of Kendricks and Higbee could become a vital part of the passing game as the security blankets for their young quarterback in his first season.

Offensive Line

There wasn’t much change along the Rams’ offensive line with almost the entire group set to return for another season.

Los Angeles is expected to start the same five players that include the four new starters last year. Jamon Brown and Rob Havenstein each showed promise in their respective rookie seasons, but both dealt with injuries.

Brown started the first nine games at right guard but missed the remainder of the season due to a fractured right leg. Havenstein started 13 games at right tackle and didn’t allow a sack all season, but dealt with a nagging calf injury.

Rodger Saffold is coming off another injury-riddled campaign in 2015 where he required season-ending right shoulder surgery in early October. This is a continuing trend for Saffold as he has only twice played a full season in his seven years in the league.

Greg Robinson played better at left tackle in 2015, but he’s still far behind schedule from what the team had hoped when they drafted him with the second overall in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Tim Barnes proved to be a sufficient option in his first season as a starting center in 2015, which helped him earned a new two-year contract with the Rams. Barnes isn’t a standout at his position by any means, but he’s reliable. His role will take more importance this upcoming season with a rookie quarterback behind him.

Los Angeles also has a few other development projects in their young offensive line unit such as Isaiah Battle, Demetrius Rhaney, Cody Wichmann, and Andrew Donnal.

Source: NFL.com, ESPN.com

Bob Garcia IV is a sports journalist from Southern California. He is also the Los Angeles Lakers beat writer for Sportsoutwest.com and About.com. He was a reporter for the award-winning newspaper, The Daily Sundial, at California State University, Northridge. You can follow him on Twitter, @Bgarcia90.

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