Should the St. Louis Rams Consider Tanking?

Nov 22, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Tigers quarterback Paxton Lynch (12) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the game against the South Florida Bulls at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Memphis Tigers beat South Florida Bulls 31-20. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Why the Rams Should Tank

Let’s face it. The Rams need help on offense. Yes, the team formerly known as the “Greatest Show on Turf” needs help on offense, and they’ve needed it for several years. The defense has all the pieces it needs to be elite, so there is much less concern on that side of the field despite subpar play the past couple weeks.

So what do the Rams need on offense? They already have two rising stars in the skill positions (running back Todd Gurley and slot receiver Tavon Austin). Even rookie offensive linemen Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown have shown promise despite their injuries. Unfortunately, just about every other position on offense is considered a “need” at the moment.

Nick Foles and Case Keenum aren’t the answer at quarterback. They’re both great people and outstanding leaders, but their poor decision making skills and accuracy have been apparent in their playing time with St. Louis. Unfortunately, there is no quarterback in the upcoming draft that is as sure-fire of a prospect as Andrew Luck. However, if the Rams were to tank, they would have a chance to select one of two potential franchise quarterbacks: Paxton Lynch of Memphis and Jared Goff of California.

Nov 7, 2015; Eugene, OR, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws the ball before the game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

At this point, many scouts believe that Lynch will be the first quarterback off the board come draft day. The junior has a fantastic arm with prototypical size standing at 6’7 and weighing 245 pounds. He has been extremely productive at the collegiate level, completing 69% of his passes for 3670 yards and 28 touchdowns. He has also shown his ability to take care of the ball by only throwing three interceptions so far this season.

On the other hand, Goff has been receiving a lot of hype as the “next Aaron Rodgers”. Now I’m not saying that Jared Goff is the second-coming of the future Hall of Fame quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. But in terms of physical attributes and college production, he looks a lot like him. He’s a mobile pocket passer with good height standing at 6’4 and boasts a 64% completion percentage with 4,252 yards for 37 touchdowns in his junior season. However, Goff needs to gain more weight (currently at 215 pounds) and work on throwing less interceptions (13 intercepted passes this season) before he becomes an elite NFL quarterback like Aaron Rodgers.

There are a few quarterback-needy teams that may pull the trigger on these two quarterbacks before the Rams if they decide not to tank. And if they decide not to tank, they may have to go with an unproven Sean Mannion as their starting quarterback for the 2016 season.

If the Rams are going to tank, they’re going for a quarterback.

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