Jared Goff Not Expected to Start Week 1?

Despite positive reviews from teammates and the coaching staff, Jared Goff is still expected to enter training camp as the backup to Case Keenum.

The Los Angeles Rams finished up their final day of OTAs on June 17 and will now embark on the NFL’s version of summer vacation before the real crazy work begins in training camp.

While certainly beneficial, especially to rookies, OTAs are not likely going to provide people with an accurate forecast of how an individual player or an entire team might perform when the season finally arrives.

But this does not mean they come without benefit.  Again, rookies are given their first taste of the NFL.  This is their first opportunity to adjust to the increased speed of the game compared to the college level.

This is also their first opportunity to impress their teammates and potentially lay down the foundation for what will be expected of them when training camp finally arrives.

OTAs were especially important to members of both the Rams’ organization and fan base this year due to large investment made in No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff.

While it may be nice for any one player to say they were the No. 1 pick, it does carry with it a level of expectation and pressure unmatched by any other pick in the draft.

Heading into the draft, Jared Goff was seen as one of the top quarterbacks in the draft class.  Many experts had him as the best, but many others felt other quarterbacks were more deserving of that title.

While most did agree Goff was likely to be the most pro-ready quarterback, very few considered him as a player that would be ready to play day one.

Fast-forward to draft night, as the Rams call on Goff with their No. 1 pick–a No. 1 pick that required a king’s ransom to acquire.

The conversation quickly shifted from describing Goff as a talent that would likely need some time to be ready to start, to quickly assuming that Goff would be under center week one.

By all accounts, Goff has progressed well and impressed his teammates in his short time with the Rams.

He has picked up the playbook quickly, shown a lot of the talent and leadership the caused the Rams to become enamored with him in the first place, and given the players reason to be optimistic about his future.

Despite the positive reviews coming from OTAs, the coaching staff confirmed that Case Keenum would still go into training camp as the No. 1 quarterback.  This, of course, sparked the debate that maybe Goff was showing himself to be the wrong pick at No. 1 in the draft.

Again, the curse of going number one meant that a guy most felt would likely need time to be ready to start suddenly was seen as being a disappointment because OTAs determined he wasn’t ready to start.

Understandably, fans expect a quick payoff from a player the team was required to give up so much to get.

Plus, the poor play the team has received from that position prior to this year means the competition for that starting spot should not be quite a fierce as it would be in other organizations.

But it is important to remember that Coach Jeff Fisher can be overly conservative at times.  He is also known as someone that is not quick to make major changes.  He has had nothing but positive words to say regarding Goff and his progress.

He also feels, however, that it is far to early to anoint Goff as the starter so early in the progress.  The primary goal is to put the team, and Goff, in the best situation to succeed.

When all is said and done, it is entirely possible that Goff will be behind center week one and this whole discussion with be a mute point.  But if he is not ready to go week one, it should not be considered an indication that he has already shown an inability to live up to expectations.

Having Jared Goff ready to go week one is likely the best, short-term scenario.  But the ultimate goal is to make sure he is ready to go for the long-term.  If that means sitting early, so be it.