LA Rams efforts seem focused upon tossing QB Goff under the bus

Are the LA Rams suddenly a bunch of bunglers?  Forget all the rumors, the whispers, the statements, the video clips, and the countless articles, even written by us, about the number of NFL Rumors focusing upon LA Rams starting quarterback Jared Goff. While Jared Goff has left the building, the Rams have seemed to be focused on making it virtually impossible for him to return.

And that’s not the way to do business in the NFL. In fact, it’s simply not the way to do business, period. The Rams seem to be applying an almost bully-like method right now.  That’s pretty confusing, as it is such an unexpected and uncharacteristic turn for the team.

Yes, the LA Rams offense has regressed. Yes, the performance of starting quarterback Jared Goff has plateaued. And yes, head coach Sean McVay has had enough.  He has openly stated that Jared Goff is the quarterback, ‘right now’.  When asked to clarify his remarks after that statement, McVay doubled down by saying that the Rams will have competition at the quarterback position. Not to be outdone, and perhaps to display solidarity with the head coach, GM Les Snead admitted that moving on from Goff ‘can be done’.

But no matter how you look at it, this strategy is bizarre. Are the Rams trying to motivate Goff?  Then do so privately, and don’t air it out publicly. If they are trying to build a market for Goff, then do so in a positive fashion, and not publicly throw the guy under the bus.

Do you hear what I hear?

There are many fans who appreciate the success enjoyed by the Rams during the Sean McVay-Jared Goff era. And there is a growing number of fans who truly believe that Jared Goff, either in part or in whole, has become the primary reason why the Rams do not win it all. I find myself among the rare one or two who sees that Goff has some work to do.

But that being said, also accept that he is just five years at a position where the best and elite players require six to ten years to truly turn the corner. And as more and more fans form the opinion that ‘Goff just isn’t good enough’, the Rams are edging closer towards becoming the Miami Dolphins team in Ryan Tannehill’s career.

The Rams seem intent on playing that role to the hilt. If the team wanted Goff to turn it around, then have a private discussion with him. If they want to deal Goff to another team, then do so quietly. The LA Rams seem to have decided already that Goff is out. And much like the same strategy employed before the team waived Todd Gurley, the Rams seem to have encouraged all of Goff’s former coaches to seek employment elsewhere.

We are not alone in this. The Athletic’s Rich Hammond is spot on in his assessment. He has been with the LA Rams and points out that Goff has been consistent in his skillsets. Rather, this latest turmoil springs from higher expectations from McVay, and that has yet to be addressed. The Rams sudden reversal on Goff is a curious move because Goff was actually more accurate in 2020 than at any other time in his career.

Festivus: Airing of grievances

NFL Network’s Mike Silver is also calling this public airing of dirty laundry out, and revealing that none of this has been communicated directly or privately to quarterback Jared Goff. Isn’t that a bit…unprofessional?

The friction point is the point we’ve pointed out. The Rams struggled to score points, and they struggled with ball security. That was common knowledge, and something we pointed out throughout the season.  But in the 2020 NFL season, Goff was called out publicly for turnovers. And as we pointed out before, Goff was called out after the November 29, 2020 game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Before and including that game, Goff had 10 interceptions and seven fumbles for a total of 17 turnovers in his first 11 games. But after that reprimand, the Rams quarterback had just three interceptions and no fumbles for a total of just three turnovers in his final six games.  If he could manage that over the course of a full season? He would have just eight turnovers over the course of an entire season.

That was a huge improvement and one that should have been rolled up as part of his post-season assessment. But it appears to be too little, too late. Goff improved, but the Rams’ fortunes did not. Under McVay, Goff has had a regular-season record of 42-20 and a postseason record of 3-3. Could he have done better? Perhaps. Could he have done worse? Yes.

The decision seems to be made

The LA Rams claim to be opening up the starting quarterback role to an open competition.  But to one side, they have added another mobile quarterback to the roster. That has stacked the quarterback room with three mobile quarterbacks, to just Jared Goff as the lone pocket passer.  And on the other side, any coach with a history of having worked with Jared Goff has hired on with other teams.

As Ramblin Fan contributor Jay Blucher worded it, this feels like the Rams are using a ‘scorched earth’ strategy on Goff, eliminating coaches who had worked with him in the past. That does seem familiar to the way the Rams parted ways with running back coach Skip Peete last year, only to part ways with RB Todd Gurley two months later.

That sets up a similar bit of uncertainty over Jared Goff’s future with the LA Rams in 2021.  And there are valid reasons why

Whether or not the Rams truly intend on open competition, the salary scale of Goff doesn’t support his being benched.  And let’s be realistic. The Rams love the concept of a mobile quarterback. They won’t create two different offenses. The Rams will create a full playbook for a mobile quarterback, and deploy a portion of that playbook that works for a pocket passer like Goff.

The Rams have done practically everything the hard way so far in this short offseason.  Whether or not Goff is the starter, whether or not Goff will be traded, they have made public statements that are the type of conversations more appropriately held directly and privately. There is little chance of pushing this genie back into the bottle.  The Rams cannot realistically bench Goff behind Wolford. The Rams cannot expect Goff to lead the team now with the relationship so publicly strained with head coach Sean McVay.

What will happen when the Rams regroup for OTA’s (or their virtual equivalent)? The drama in the Rams locker room is only beginning folks. The Rams’ only option out of the corner that they’ve painted themselves is to trade Goff before training camp. What will that get them? Well, their marketing campaign so far leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully, they emerge with a late first-round or early second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. With that, they could draft a rookie mobile quarterback who could develop in 2021.