Transplanting ex-LA Rams Jared Goff may be his best career move

For all of the rights and wrongs of former LA Rams quarterback Jared Goff in the Rams offensive system, one undeniable reason for the need to trade him simply was not immediately obvious. But it has dawned since the blockbuster deal was first reported. He was potbound. Yes, that’s right. He had outgrown his role with the LA Rams offense. Or more accurately, he needed the freedom to experiment in an NFL offense more than the Rams allowed.

The presumption about how long it takes for a rookie to master their NFL offense is more often wrong than right. Many quarterbacks who hit the ground running in the NFL had years to watch their mentors play.  That wasn’t the case for Goff. He played as soon as head coach Sean McVay arrived.

Many young quarterbacks have a veteran quarterback to lean into during their formative years in the NFL. Goff had some interactions with Case Keenum, Sean Mannion, and Blake Bortles. But not enough to be categorized as a mentor. Goff was a blank slate, and his skillset hardware was loaded with Sean McVay’s operating system. It was all Goff needed to know.

The young Rams quarterback rocketed to NFL stardom while most quarterbacks struggle to win half of their scheduled NFL games. He was a gifted young man driving a nearly automatic NFL offense. In his third NFL season, he was playing in the Super Bowl. The result of that appearance fell fully upon him. That wasn’t fair to the player.  After all, he followed the game plan to the best of his ability.

Scrutiny intensified

Since that time, the scrutiny has intensified on Goff. His performance was no longer critiqued in terms of wins and losses. Suddenly, each play was critiqued. Errant throws? Reactions were immediate and harsh. If he threw for a 15-yard completion, but someone believed a receiver was streaking to daylight 30 yards downfield, that became another ding on Goff.

With each ‘flaw’, reactions grew harsher, and Goff wilted a little bit more. The great fit waxed into a nightmarish fit. Goff even tried to become a better quarterback for the Rams offense. He attended an NFL quarterback camp to retrain himself to throw off-schedule and off-balance.  It worked at first. But eventually, he became who he has always been.

He needs a change of scenery. The LA Rams have been keying on post-season success since Goff played a full 16 game schedule. He was ridden hard, perhaps to the point where it became more job-like and less fun. Even with winning nearly 60 percent of the games he played in, he was called to the carpet for the games 40 percent that the team lost.

The Detroit Lions be ecstatic to win just half of their games in 2021. The bar is so much lower there. After all, they are in full rebuild mode. And with four picks of the first 100 in the 2021 NFL Draft, they should be in excellent shape to gain ground this season.

Let’s have some fun

Jared Goff is just one of 53 players on the team, and one of eleven players on the offensive side of the ball. He was the youngest player to compete as the starting quarterback in an NFL Super Bowl. So it’s clear that he has talent.  But what about having fun?

That’s the missing ingredient after all, isn’t it? The quarterback for LA Rams head coach Sean McVay is the alpha and omega of that offense’s success. In 2017 and 2018, the Rams offense topped the NFL charts for scoring. In 2019 and 2020, the same offense plummeted among the ranks of scoring.  There is no offensive coordinator calling bad plays. There is no quarterback coach to change the training regiment. There is a direct line of sight between McVay and Goff.

When times are good? Everything is rosy. When the offense struggles? Take shelter

Goff will have fun with the Detroit Lions. His offensive coordinator is former LA Chargers head coach  Anthony Lynn. His quarterback coach is former quarterback Mark Brunell. The assistant head coach and running backs coach is Duce Staley. The offensive line coach is former LA Rams offensive lineman Hank Fraley.

That’s a competent and fun coaching staff.  The Detroit Lions deliberately reset the age of their starting quarterback by six years. But they also, reset the bar of expectations for Jared Goff as well. How good will the Detroit Lions be in 2021? Only as good as Jared Goff takes them. But it won’t be all on his shoulders.

Jared Goff won’t be potbound in 2021. In fact, it may be the first time in his NFL career that he has fun.