LA Rams must sign 1 of these 5 quarterbacks in next 48 hours

The LA Rams need a veteran backup quarterback. The team should sign one of these five veterans within the next 48 hours to land the best bargain

The LA Rams are making efforts in 2020 to adhere to a stricter than usual budget in their free agency dealings so far. And that’s a far cry from the free-spending, wheeling-dealing reputation of general manager Les Snead. But the times they are a’-changing, as the old song Bob Dylan song lyrics go. After all, the 2020 NFL Draft will not be held before a live audience, but rather will be a virtual televised broadcast.

So too, this is a new NFL. Thanks to the new CBA, the LA Rams must now plan for a 55, not 53, man season roster. And the practice squad is no longer 10 players. In 2020, that number increases to 12 players. In 2022, that number increases once more to 14.

Amidst all this transformation, the LA Rams must now look to the roster and attempt to fill in the depth chart amidst this ever-changing scenario. Will the Rams need a pocket passer or a dual-threat quarterback in 2020 and beyond? While all these questions remain unanswered, the fact remains that the 2020 NFL Draft is not the place to select a backup quarterback. Developmental quarterback? Yes, of course.

But a rookie drafted from round two or later has little chance of having a good grasp of the NFL this year.  Certainly not well enough to step into the midst of a game and lead the Rams to victory. And if the player cannot do that, they cannot fill a backup role.  That role is best filled by a veteran who has been there, done that. But those types of players go quickly. So the LA Rams must act quickly to sign their future backup quarterback before another team comes along and scoops him up.

Quarterback number 5

36-year-old quarterback Drew Stanton is a cheap experienced option for the LA Rams. He last played backup to the Cleveland Browns at a salary cap cost of over $2 million / year. To sign with the LA Rams, he would need to settle for much less, around $1 million / year.

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His last action was earned while a member of the Arizona Cardinals in 2017. In that year, he played and got three wins in four starts with the team.  While he did not complete more than 50 percent of his passes, he did have great success at throwing into the endzone, completing six touchdown passes in just four games. Of course, he also struggled with interceptions, throwing five over the same period.

Stanton stands 6-foot-3 and weighs in at 226 pounds. While that is an excellent size for a quarterback, he will see his 36th birthday this year. Over his career, he has played in 38 games and started in 17.  While he did not see any action as a backup for the Cleveland Browns over the past two seasons, he would certainly be the type of player who could help the coaching staff with younger quarterbacks.

Assuming the LA Rams enter the 2020 training camp with three quarterbacks, Stanton would be the veteran amidst a sea of youth. Even starting quarterback Jared Goff is young by NFL standards and would benefit by adding a player with so much experience to the roster.

Quarterback number 4

A former second-round pick of the 2013 NFL Draft, Geno Smith last played as the backup quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. He was an inexpensive option for a mobile backup, playing for just $800,000 for a one-year deal. Now he is back on the pavement, seeking another team to play for.

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Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 221 pounds, Smith is plenty tough to stand under center. In his seven NFL seasons, he has seen action in 40 games and started in 31 contests. While his completion rate of 57.7 percent is about average for the position, his TDs (29) to INTs (36) will not be something you want in the game for long.

He does bring a threat of running the ball, having done so for 147 attempts for 661 yards.  Smith is an option for the Rams if they intend to bring in a mobile rookie, someone like QB Jalen Hurts. Since the team’s offense has been designed to support the pocket passer Goff, a mobile QB would need additional coaching up to know when to thrown and when to pull it down and just run with it.

Smith is not fundamentally as sound as some other QBs on this list, and so his usefulness on the roster is limited. But he is the right choice for a specific situation. Let’s move on to the next backup option.

Quarterback number 3

Quarterback Matt Moore was a $1,030,000 backup for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019.  He is a solid option, and I want to point out that he did step up last year. In fact, he started two games in 2019 and threw at a 64.8 percent completion rate. Added to that, he tossed four touchdowns, while avoiding throwing any interceptions.

Moore is another 6-foot-3 veteran, weighing 219 pounds. He’s seen plenty of action in his 11 years of the NFL and will turn 36 this year. Despite his solid numbers, he is emerging from a one-year $1 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

He has had a varied career, sometimes showing up big in stats, and the next year dropping horrifically in the same statistical measures. But the fact that the Kansas City Chiefs entrusted him to backup Patrick Mahomes in 2019 is enough confirmation to me.

His completion percentage over his career is an impressive 60.0 percent and reached 64.8 percent while he played for the Chiefs in 2019. He is the most field-tested of the bunch and his price tag certainly fits what the LA Rams can offer him. And with his recent Super Bowl experience, he is the ideal player to add to the locker room to help with the culture of winning in 2020.

Quarterback number 2

Quarterback Blake Bortles is still a very solid option for the LA Rams. He brings both familiarity and affordability. At 6-foot-5 and 236 pounds, he is every bit constructed for life in a passer’s pocket. And whether a system quarterback or not, his career statistics are better than some starting quarterbacks’ stats right now.

While only 24-49 as a starter, he’s thrown 2,634 passes for 1,562 completions. His 17,649 passing yards is excellent, as is his 103 touchdowns thrown and 11.2 yards per completion.  He’s had a long hard career in the NFL, which makes him an ideal backup quarterback for the next chapter of his career. A chapter he’s already begun with the LA Rams in 2019.

If Bortles’ plan was to compete for playing time with the Rams on a one-year deal, and use that to springboard into playing time on another team in 2020, the plan failed miserably.  But that was more likely about bad timing than anything else. With the likes of major NFL veterans hitting the free market simultaneously and coinciding with a draft class of quarterbacks that everyone is buzzing about, it’s hard to attract any NFL team’s interest.

Bortles is worth bringing back. Not just because he is priced like a bottom shelf quarterback, but he is just 27 years of age, and is entering the best years of his NFL career. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles was a very up-and-down player until he ‘clicked” in their Super Bowl run in 2017. He won three straight games with a 72.6 completion percentage. Bortles has a similar makeup, able to turn it on and not let his teammates down. He already knows Sean McVay’s offense, is a solid veteran and can be signed quickly. Only one player would be a better fit. Let’s see who that is.

Quarterback number 1

Quarterback Joe Flacco is at a transition point for his career. If he embraces a backup role, he would be a huge signing for the LA Rams. Embracing a backup role means seeking much less than his 2019 $13 million a year salary. It will also mean the player who started eight games in 2019 must be willing to endure an entire season from the bench if need be.

Reports about his mindset before he was released due to a failed physical suggested that he was willing to settle for a backup role. But at the time, he was due to be paid a lot of money.  Now, failed physical, the 35-year-old quarterback must wrestle with his pride and surrender to the reality. He has a limited number of years left in the NFL if he is willing to take a small salary and accept a backup role willingly.  The LA Rams should bet that he can.

At 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, he would be a good veteran to sign on as a backup quarterback.  Right now, most teams have a full complement of quarterbacks or are eyeing up the 2020 NFL Draft for their roster. Once the draft occurs, Flacco and other veterans may find some NFL interest as teams look to add veteran depth behind new rookie arms.

Only once in Joe Flacco’s career did he throw more interceptions than touchdowns, and his career completion percentage of 61.9 percent is still very good. His 2019 completion rate with the Denver Broncos actually soared to 65.3 percent.  And as an added bonus, Flacco defeated the rival San Francisco 49ers 34-31 to win Super Bowl XLVII.  Best of all, his play is quite similar to that of Jared Goff and would be an almost seamless substitution for Goff should the Rams starter be unable to take snaps.