St. Louis Rams: Is Nick Foles the answer?
The dust has settled and It is time to look forward towards the 2015 NFL draft and offseason workouts. The Rams have the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft, but what will they use it on?
Arguably the most surprising move in the 2015 NFL offseason thus far is the trade that sent former Rams quarterback Sam Bradford to the Philadelphia Eagles in return for young gun Nick Foles.
But, the question is, will Foles be the future quarterback for the Rams?
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With numerous reports that quarterback Marcus Mariota may slip outside of the top 10, would the Rams consider taking him in that situation?
In my opinion, the Rams won this trade outright. In his time with the Rams, Bradford posted an 18-30 regular season record. Bradford played in just seven games over the course of the last two seasons and has played in just 49 games since being drafted with the number one overall pick in 2010.
Foles on the other hand has a 15-10 career record in just 28 games, so why would the Eagles trade him for a quarterback who has been a huge disappointment?
Many believe that the reason for the trade was Foles’ relationship with Eagles head coach Chip Kelly.
It wasn’t very good.
And it is clear that Foles did not fit into Kelly’s new scheme all too well as Foles threw just 13 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in eight games last season before a broken collarbone caused him to miss the rest of the 2015 campaign.
However, in 2013 Foles was given a chance to play after an injury to Michael Vick, and never looked back.
Foles surpassed Tom Brady for the best regular season TD-INT ratio in NFL history by throwing 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions.
Foles’ 119.0 passer rating finished second in the NFL behind Aaron Rodgers and bought him a spot in the 2013 pro bowl. While competing in the pro bowl, Foles was awarded the offensive MVP award by going 7-for-10 for 89 yards and a go ahead touchdown.
So, which Foles can the Rams expect to see on the field in 2015?
January 26, 2014; Honolulu, HI, USA; Team Sanders quarterback Nick Foles of the Philadelphia Eagles (9) waves to the crowd after the 2014 Pro Bowl game at Aloha Stadium. Team Rice defeated Team Sanders 22-21. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
That question will have to wait.
With Jeff Fisher at the helm in his three seasons as the head coach, the Rams were 21st in yards per passing attempt, 19th in touchdown passes and 25th in passing yards.
But it is not an easy task to complete passes when your starting quarterback’s and yes, that is plural, have been Austin Davis, Shawn Hill and Kellen Clemons over the course of the past two seasons.
Fisher has never had a good offensive team, but look at the talent he has had to work with.
After finishing with a disappointing 6-10 record in 2014, the Rams have put together some pieces that should excite Rams fans going forward.
You now have a quarterback that can win games. You have a second year running back in Tre Mason that has all the upside in the world and three solid receivers who can make plays in Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin and Jared Cook.
Many mock drafts have the Rams taking a wide receiver with the 10th pick in the NFL draft but do not be surprised if the Rams choose to trade down with that pick.
As we all know, you can credit the Rams great young defense to the Robert Griffin III trade in which the Rams racked up on numerous draft picks and turned them into a starting defense.
A team to watch for the Rams to trade with would be ironically, the Eagles. Everyone is aware that Chip Kelly most likely is chomping at the bit to draft Mariota, even though he has stated that he has no intention to do so.
And there is no proof that Mariota would drop as far as 10 to begin with, so we will have to wait three weeks to find out how the picks fall.
But, if the Rams do choose to stay put at the number 10 position, I would be surprised if they passed on a wide receiver at this point.
Regardless of the three receivers I named, The Rams are still missing a receiver who is a match-up nightmare like Julio Jones or Calvin Johnson. Guys like Amari Cooper, Kevin White and DeVante Parker are receivers who can take over a game, and would pose a huge threat to any defense they go up against.
So is Foles the missing piece to the Rams success? In a division that may be the toughest top-to-bottom in the NFL?
We will have to wait and see, but as far as the 2015 season goes, Rams fans should be very excited to see what Foles can bring to the table under center.