I love what the LA Rams are doing with just arrived QB Baker Mayfield

The LA Rams just added a new quarterback, and there are plenty of reasons to embrace both the enthusiasm and optimism that comes with any new hurler who was once the top pick in any NFL draft, particularly one that was within the past five seasons. As far as the nay-sayers? Tune them out. The fact is that failing to become an All-Pro has more to do with the fit in an NFL team’s respective system than the talent of an individual player.

Take former All-Pro offensive guard Evan Matthis, who played six seasons in anonymity in the NFL as a rotation offensive lineman before scoring the right offensive blocking scheme with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011. Two years later? He was the talk of the NFL and was voted both to the Pro Bowl and as the First Team AP All-Pro. Countless articles about him cited that he was washed up. No apologies were issued after he earned his place among the NFL elite.

There are many reasons for the LA Rams to take a shot at claiming former 2018 NFL Draft top-pick Baker Mayfield. But here is one reason I’m willing to bet that few if any, other sites will mention, or even think of until they read this article. Do you want to know what it is?

Ooh, the plot thickens

Basic, fundamental, marketing. There is almost no suspense or drama about these LA Rams. Success has become commonplace, winning games had become no longer exciting. In many ways, the Rams had fallen victim to their own winning ways, The number of injuries to the Rams’ roster has all but eliminated any reason for the Rams fans to get excited about this team.

Six-game losing streaks will do that to you.

So what can the Rams do? Well, planned or not, the Rams have stumbled into an ideal method of igniting both intrigue and suspense into games that, by rights, have neither. Right now, the LA Rams have created an intriguing plot for their Thursday Night Football Game against the Las Vegas Raiders over a game-time decision of which quarterback will the team start. Yes, that’s right. The guy who just got off the plane hours earlier could be under center for the Rams.

I, for one, and all for it.

This is a fun and enthusiastic development for a 3-9 NFL team facing a 5-7 NFL team. You have to love how this one is playing out, don’t you?

Now add the intrigue

This is an inspired move for the Rams organization. Simply by claiming a defrocked NFL quarterback, the Rams have converted this team from Goliath to David. And who doesn’t love an underdog nowadays?

Clearly, the LA Rams fans do. Yes, the Rams picked up a quarterback and find themselves on the hook for his remaining $1.3+ million salary cap. But there are solid business reasons for doing so. Just check out the latest jersey sales data. How long before the Rams have recovered their investment into Baker Mayfield by apparel sales? At this pace, not long

Baker Mayfield holds the NFL Shop’s top-selling jersey, eh? Who’d have thought?

Two chapters, one story

If you look over the NFL career of Mayfield, you will notice two distinctly different chapters. His first three seasons with the Cleveland Browns were that of a young and promising NFL quarterback who fought through the chaos of playing for four different NFL head coaches in three seasons.

Keep in mind, Mayfield was still on his rookie contract, and not only had to learn how to play in the NFL but had to relearn four different offensive philosophies. His production waned in 2021, partly due to the Browns’ front office adding ill-suited weapons for Mayfield’s style of play.

In 2022, Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers and struggled to assemble any semblance of mastery of their starting quarterback role.

Now add the marketing

So what can the LA Rams expect for their starting quarterback for TNF? Well, the team is clearly playing this entire scenario very coyly. And why not? This is fun again folks, which is exactly the approach I had hoped the Rams might take with the rest of this season. The team had both Baker Mayfield and Bryce Perkins warming up in pregame snaps.

The Rams have handled a quarterback problem in the best possible way possible. Not only has the team shut down starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, but the backup quarterback John Wolford is fighting through his own injuries. That brings the Thursday Night Football starting quarterback role down to either backup quarterback Bryce Perkins, or the newly acquired quarterback Baker Mayfield

And the answer is?

Here comes the LA Baker

Did the LA Rams give their starting quarterback role question their answer on social media? It certainly looks that way, doesn’t it?

Will Baker Mayfield be able to compete? I think so. The LA Rams have no clue what Baker Mayfield can do, so how can the Las Vegas Raiders possibly have a clue? And if the Rams exhaust the playbook that Mayfield has mastered, the team can sub in Bryce Perkins to give the Raiders something else to defend.

If Mayfield struggles, well, he just arrived. If he plays well? Just imagine.  What will the market be for a free-agent quarterback who can learn an NFL playbook in 48 hours? Will some QB-hungry team sign him? I’m willing to estimate that a contact that may result in an awarded fifth-round compensatory 2024 NFL Draft pick is at play right now (if not better).

Are you having fun yet? I am. And regardless of whether the LA Rams win or lose in this game, one thing is certain. LA Rams football is certainly fun again.