Dissecting the St Louis Rams: Quarterback

The quarterback is one of the most important position in sports. So much is required of a player to play the position. Leadership, talent, size, awareness, and intelligence are just a few of the key traits that make a quarterback great. I of course explain this to the newer St Louis Rams fans who might not know what it’s like to have a great quarterback under center. (Been a few years since the glorious Warner days)

The Rams have an abundance of quarterbacks to test this year, and with four already on the roster, it would seem one of those options would have to be cut at some point. Let’s dive in on the quarterback situation further:

Mar 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles (center) is introduced to the media at Rams Park. Foles is joined by Rams head coach Jeff Fisher (left) and general manager Les Snead (right). Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Foles

Nick could very well be the messiah. The great leader who finally takes the Rams to the playoffs they have so well missed for the last ten years. On the other hand, he could struggle outside of anything besides Chip Kelly’s system. Honestly we will not have any clue on which of the two it will be, but right now the consensus is good.

Foles might not be elite, but he has many qualities that should give Rams fans hope. For starters, he can stay on the field, which is something that the last quarterback for the Rams could not do. Foles also has a great feel for pressure, and is very good at not turning the ball over.

Foles will be better than Clemens, Davis, or Hill, so there is much hope in how far his ceiling truly is.

Aug 28, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Austin Davis (9) throws a pass during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Austin Davis

Austin Davis is not a bad quarterback. In fact, I love the kid dearly. He loves to compete, he love to play the game, and he studies hard and always stays professional and classy. He has good accuracy, but his two downfalls are the reasons he struggles at the professional level.

First off, he is terrible under pressure. Davis will flush out of the pocket often and sometimes even when the blocking is fine. Davis will also flush out even if his first read is gone. I understand the Rams blocking isn’t the greatest, but calm down Davis.

The second issue is what got him benched. Davis has a hard time finishing games. Davis is great at playing three quarters of great football, and then throwing two pick sixes to the same guy in two minutes in the fourth quarter. (Arizona) This is why Foles is such a great bonus, as he is a lot better at making good decisions in the clutch.

Dec 28, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Case Keenum (7) throws during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Case Keenum

Keenum still has a lot to prove, but at this point, the Rams felt it was worth it to trade for him after he won consecutive games with Houston in weeks 16 and 17. He is a reliable backup quarterback who has glimpses of talent, just hasn’t figured out how to win games yet.

Jan 24, 2015; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad quarterback Sean Mannion of Oregon State (4) looks for a receiver against the South squad in the second quarter of the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Mannion

Mannion is the project rookie. He comes from the pro-style offense of Oregon State and has the tools to be a good quarterback in this league. He needs to work on his accuracy and footwork if he wants to ever make it to first string.

Official grade: B+

Finally the Rams have options. Foles has proven he can start, and with plenty of backup capable quarterbacks to build, it looks like the Rams made the right choice in getting much needed depth. If I had to guess, Davis will be the one getting cut, only because St Louis just gave up a draft pick for Keenum.

Next: Scouting Report: Louis Trinca-Pasat

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