LA Rams: How each quarterback fits into the evolving offense

Bryce Perkins is the prototypical QB of the new Rams Offense

Rams rookie QB Bryce Perkins slipped through the NFL Draft and landed on the LA Rams roster as an undrafted free agent. While Perkins played just two seasons at the University of Virginia, he did capture some attention, enough to project him as a day three selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. He played well but did not receive the spotlight like other ACC quarterbacks.

Under the radar, he completed 544 passes for 6210 yards with 47 touchdowns. Perkins ran for 1692 yards with 20 touchdowns. He is the definition of a dual-threat quarterback, and his skill set was on display in a number of heroic efforts to win games for the Virginia Cavaliers.

Perkins is the choice of O’Connell as the future of Rams quarterbacks, who was quite familiar with his college performance from his home nearby in Washington D.C. Future quarterbacks will be more like fleet-footed Lamar Jackson instead of standing-in-place Roman Gabriel. Perkins has the size and athleticism to play in the NFL- standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 215 pounds. During his two-year stint, Perkins ran Virginia’s Air-Raid offense.

The Air Raid offense has its roots in the WCO. There are some things that have changed since Mike Leach used the offense so prolific in the Big-12. Perkins ‘ arrival at the Rams creates a perfect incubation chamber and laboratory for the coaching staff to incorporate Air Raid principles into the team’s playbook in 2020 and beyond.

Boyd discusses the evolution of the Air Raid at footballstudyhall.com:

"The original Air Raid was basically taking the West Coast passing game, … Leach would use wide OL splits to help buy time for his QBs … he’d flood the field with fast, sure-handed receivers. The modern versions of the Air Raid have tended to mute the wide splits and overly pass-heavy emphasis of the original Air Raid. Run/pass options (RPOs) and dual-threat QBs have been a major boon to the system …"

Perkins is a dual-threat quarterback and one who is quite comfortable with flooding the defense with receivers while moving in the pocket to create sufficient time for plays to develop. Opposing defenses would have to account for him on every play. The influence of O’Connell plays heavily with the signing of Perkins. Keep in mind that O’Connell was instrumental in easing then-rookie dual-threat Dwayne Haskins’s arrival to the NFL while at the Washington Redskins. Curiously, the Rams sign a quarterback who is remarkably similar to Haskins immediately after O’Connell’s arrival.  After all, he is not like the other three Rams quarterbacks. Let’s see how this plays out.