Is it wise for LA Rams wise to draft QB successor to Matthew Stafford?

The perils of paying QBs

Want another example of a similar bone-headed move from a different team? That would be the $156 million contract the Houston Texans gave last season to Deshaun Watson. Did it seem like a fair market value at the time? Sure. But they handed a stack of cash to a player who was already on the fence about the team. Shouldn’t the Texans have confirmed that the interest in a long-term contractual relationship was mutual?

Now, he might just sit out the entire season, that is if the NFL doesn’t suspend him for his alleged extra-curricular adventures with masseuses. But the contract the team gave him – whew, you don’t think that move put a boa-constrictor like death-lock on the Texans’ finances and therefore, their future draft flexibility?

How about a third example? The Baltimore Ravens awarded QB Joe Flacco a $120 million contract extension after he won a Super Bowl. And the following year, well, he sucked. And the team found itself mired in salary-cap-hell because of that decision, unable to address other needs and unable to lure free agents because all of the disposable cash was sitting in Flacco’s overstuffed pockets.

Kinda’ like the LA Rams and quarterback Jared Goff. History repeats itself.

And while Goff didn’t win a Lombardi, he got the Rams into the Super Bowl despite injuries to a starting wide receiver in Cooper Kupp and a banged-up starting running back in Todd Gurley.  Despite all of that adversity, he got them there and the team (I guess, kinda sorta felt it oughta) reward him for the journey, only to have to swallow hard and unload him for a king’s ransom in draft picks to the Detroit Lions down the road.

Yes, hindsight is always 20/20, but you have to admit, things would indeed be very different for these Rams had they not allowed the Brinks truck to back up to Goff’s house.