Folks, it is clearly time for the LA Rams to trade QB Goff

This hurts me to say this but time is up, the LA Rams need to trade QB Jared Goff.

The LA Rams were forced to make a move at the quarterback position because starting quarterback Jared Goff needed surgery to repair the thumb on his throwing hand. While I wish him a speedy recovery, I also wish him well. As in, farewell. This is where we break up. He can go his way, and the LA Rams can go theirs. We’re all done here.

Guys, it is time to say goodbye to our overpaid franchise quarterback. The Rams have to cut their losses and move on. I’m of course talking about quarterback Jared Goff. The Rams traded up to number one in the 2016 NFL Draft to pick the California kid. He endured all the heartaches of the final season of the Jeff Fisher era.

Stats are not Championships

He led the team to the playoffs in two of his first three seasons starting, and the Rams may get into the playoffs for three of his four years under head coach Sean McVay.  He has never had a losing season under McVay. In fact, he has led the Rams to a 42-20 record in the last four NFL seasons. He’s thrown for 18,171 yards, 107 touchdowns, and 55 interceptions. He’s rushed 163 times for 314 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 42 fumbles.

We thought that Goff was going to grow up and lead our team to the promised land. That’s why the Rams were so eager to pay him top dollar.  But, now those hopes are just unlikely after watching him week after week. His confidence is shot. He is too timid to run when there is open space, and too jittery to look downfield to find the open man. He is officially the problem now. And the only way to fix a bad relationship is to know when to walk away. It’s time to walk away.

Shattered trust

Head coach Sean McVay doesn’t trust Goff anymore. It’s evident with every game that the offense is becoming closer to the line of scrimmage. . Goff has regressed over the past 2 seasons and now it seems like a colossal mistake to have extended him. Goff needs a great offensive line and a strong running game. But nearly two-thirds of the NFL quarterbacks could flourish with those components. So what did the Rams pay for exactly?

Yes, the team is in cap hell in 2020 due to the exits of both RB Todd Gurley and WR Brandin Cooks. But there are ways to get rid of Jared Goff. To understand how I turn to the NFL salary cap expertise from the analysts at OverTheCap.com.

Salary scenarios

According to Over the Cap, if the Rams cut Jared Goff before June 1st, the Rams will incur $65 million dollars in dead cap in 2021, $30.9 million in 2022.  On the other hand, the team will save  $30 million dollars in 2021, another $23 million in 2023, and finally save $26 million in 2024. For all intents and purposes, this is the least likely scenario due to the salary hits

Now let’s examine the financial impact if the Rams cut Jared Goff AFTER June 1st. There will be a $49 million-dollar-hit to the team’s salary cap in 2021, and another $22 million-hit of their dead cap in 2022,  Meanwhile the team will realize savings of some $15 million dollars in 2021, $10 million in 2022, $25 million in 2023,  and finally $26 million in 2024. While that is a better scenario, it is also extremely unlikely.

Trade market

So waiving him is likely too cost-prohibitive, but what happens if the Rams trade Jared Goff before June 1st? The Rams will incur a $22 million dollar hit in their dead cap in 2021, another $15 million in 2022, and finally $8 million in 2023. That will generate a salary cap savings of $12 million in 2021, $17 million in 2022, $23.5 million in 2023, and finally $26 million in 2024. Now we’re talking. This seems likely especially with the dead cap hit. It’s still a large hit but it’s much more doable compared to the previous scenarios. Are there teams willing to take on a proven QB that costs that much?

Of course, timing is everything, so if the Rams trade Jared Goff AFTER June 1st, the team will incur $6.8 million in dead money in 2021 through 2023, ending with a measly $1.8 million salary-cap hit in 2024. Of course, the cap savings of trading Goff with a post-June 1st designation starts at $27.8 million in 2021, $25.8 million in 2022, $25 million in 2023, and ends at a savings of $26 million in 2024. As in the other scenario, savings in this scenario occur because the cost is pushed out to the receiving team. Are such teams willing to take on that much cap hit?

Of the various versions, the post-June 1st designation is the most likely scenario as it is the one that can help the team out of the current fiscal jam the most. A trade could happen in training camp after an injury or a contract hold out. Who knows what the future holds. We wish Jared Goff the best but his time with the Rams should be over.

If John Wolford does well in his NFL debut, look for this line of thinking to pick up steam. Goff has done plenty of good things. It’s the fact that the Rams cannot count on a win in any given week that has become a huge nightmare for the team. Sometimes it’s not just winning, but how dependable a player can be in working to that goal.

The Rams are declining. Despite a top defense and a top-10 offensive line, the team is no better off than a year ago. That should concern everyone.  As for me, I don’t like trying to make it work when it’s this obvious that it’s not working for either side any longer. Fare thee well, Jared Goff. Or as we say in modern English, farewell.