Media still betting against Rams wound-be franchise QB Jared Goff

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - JANUARY 13: (Center) Quarterback Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams talks to the media after a press conference announcing the hiring of Sean McVay as the new head coach of the Rams on January 13, 2017 in Thousand Oaks, California. McVay is the youngest head coach in NFL history. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
THOUSAND OAKS, CA - JANUARY 13: (Center) Quarterback Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams talks to the media after a press conference announcing the hiring of Sean McVay as the new head coach of the Rams on January 13, 2017 in Thousand Oaks, California. McVay is the youngest head coach in NFL history. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) /
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The NFL media, as well as most football watchers appear to be casting Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff as a prime candidate for the next big bust.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff is still an odds-on favorite to go belly up in 2017 and beyond. A whip around the national media will find a consensus that the second year starter won’t be long for a career in the National Football League.

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As if this season in Los Angeles wasn’t already stacking up to be curious filled, many NFL watchers have begun writing the epitaph to be planted at midfield of the Coliseum.

This is year two of Rams football, AND year two of the cautionary tale that is Jared Goff.

For Rams fans, it’ll be about fingers crossed and hope that new head coach Sean McVay can turn this Titanic around and avoid banging into the iceberg that say “BUST” on it.

It won’t be easy, but acing the NFL quarterback riddle is not terribly easy, and McVay will be tested in year one.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 01: Jared Goff
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 01: Jared Goff /

What I ask, is what will be success for Goff in LA?

Let’s take playoffs off of the list, as well as the Rams having a winning record or even a record of .500. Neither of those would be fair measurements for his second season given last year.

Also, no Pro Bowl or season honors of any kind.

Basically, set the bar low.

Real low.

Now, success for Goff is a fairly easy metric if it is about not sliding backwards. If the best he can muster is a repeat of 2016 as far as a record of 4-12 goes, then that can be considered a positive if he has them in games, but as a whole, the team isn’t good enough to eek out the close wins.

That would be a positive.

Also, being a factor in the fourth quarter.

Goff, the Rams, and a ‘W’ can’t be a constant companion. In other words, it will be a positive result if we see this team competing late in games and especially with under two minutes and a shot at a win. That alone might be the greatest single metric for how far Goff and this team may have come.

Again, that would also be a positive.

Lastly, and I’ve said this before, if the Rams do no better than 4-12 or what I think, 5-11, if it is an “optimistic” losing record heading into 2018, then it becomes a positive outlook and spin for a team making the climb back up the mountain. Optimism was sorely missing under Jeff Fisher.

You see where I’m going here?

But is all this the measurement of whether he is ultimately a bust or not?

It still being July only means that we are make wild guesses based on his career of seven games. It’s hardly fair, but such is life in the NFL.

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So, is Jared Goff tracking towards being a bust or not?

Frankly, it’ll be another season or two before a jury can reach that verdict.

But one thing we can all count on, is that when that decision is rendered, he won’t be wearing a Los Angeles Rams uniform.