3 reasons why LA Rams needed to trade Jared Goff

Reason I – Accountability

The LA Rams insisted that quarterback Jared Goff improve his skills to complete passes off-schedule and out of position. One of the key responsibilities with bringing in new offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell was to prioritize Goff’s training regiment, focus Goff on improving weaker areas of his game, and become a season-long sounding board of helping the young quarterback upon what the defense was doing and how he should direct the offensive to respond.

In fact, Goff focused upon those techniques in the offseason last year. And the results were noticeable in several early-season games. Goff’s accuracy was way up. He seemed to be far more comfortable in the pocket and even seemed to have a subtle elusiveness about him that wasn’t there before.

Early season progress vanished when the Rams faced the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins in two of a three-game stretch. Prior to those games, the LA Rams were 4-1, having swept the entire NFC East Division and losing an oh-so-close game to the Buffalo Bills on the road. But against the 49ers and the Dolphins? Nothing.

Fight fire with fire

McVay’s offensive philosophy is to fight fire with fire. So when defenses throw zero-cover blitzes at his offense, he retaliates with an empty backfield and the expectation that the quarterback will find the open receiver. That seldom seemed to happen. Of course, another way to defeat that is to push a running back through the saturated line of scrimmage into the open defensive backfield. That works too.

But it’s not McVay’s way.

In the end, McVay paid Goff. And more than ever, McVay counted upon Goff to deliver. But perhaps worst of all, players began to wonder if they would ever win with Goff under center. Someday was not an acceptable answer any longer. That timeline shrank dramatically this season to become ‘during my career’.

It finally registered. Other teams simply do not fear Goff under center, and the Rams own organization was beginning to lose respect for the young quarterback who just couldn’t deliver the big win. From the moment that light bulb flashed, the LA Rams head coach, and the entire organization needed a new face under center.

And no, it’s not Goff’s fault. You see, the LA Rams changed the timeline. The core players on this roster are peaking. This team is built to win now. And now, so is the quarterback.