Drafting a QB in 2016 would be bitter sweet for the Rams

Nov 29, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles (5) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 31-7. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

None of the available quarterbacks potentially available this coming draft will grade out as high as Winston did. So, it’s safe to say none of them will peg to be a day one starter for St. Louis, should they draft one. It took Winston almost half the season before it was safe to call him “comfortable” in the pocket, and you could continue to make the argument that he still has a long way to go. It’s very possible these quarterbacks all sit for a year before they are ready to start, but that’s a luxury the Rams can afford.

St. Louis is financially committed to Nick Foles through at least 2016. Through his first season with the Rams it appears he isn’t the answer the team was hoping he would be. However, because of the money he isn’t going anywhere, so why not take a quarterback and allow him to sit for a season behind Foles and take a fresh look at things in 2017?

That seems like a sound plan, if it wasn’t for one giant inherent danger. Whenever you draft a quarterback, or any player for that matter, the pressure to plug that player right into the lineup is tremendous. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Blake Bortles are a perfect example. When Bortles was drafted the Jaguars were adamant that he would sit for an entire season. That held true for less than half that time. While Bortles seems to have progressed through some growing pains, he’s still a long way from his draft status.

The other major risk here is Foles. What if he returns to form in 2016 and becomes the player the Rams thought they were getting in the trade with Sam Bradford? Now you have Foles playing well and you “wasted” a top ten draft pick on a quarterback some would argue you never needed in the first place. At that point the franchise should be thrilled they got 16 solid games out of the quarterback position.

Without risk there is no reward and if St. Louis does not believe they have their starting quarterback on the current roster, then they have no choice but to draft one this spring. This year’s class may not provide the upside previous classes have, but it’s not completely void of talent either. The Rams need a quarterback in the worst way, and the draft is going to be the best place to fill that need.