Could LA Rams outsmart the NFL with 1 of these 5 out of favor QBs?

Do the LA Rams need to start thinking about a successor to veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford? Absolutely, yes. Must the Rams choose their next franchise quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft? Not really. While the 2024 NFL Draft is currently projected to be loaded with quarterback talent, that may not be the case on draft day. Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders and Texas QB Quinn Ewers have already reportedly opted to return for another year of college football.

Even USC quarterback Caleb Williams has threatened to remain at USC if he is unhappy with the NFL teams that are in position to select him near the top of the draft. So there are still some prospects who are able to impact the quality and depth of the quarterback options for the upcoming draft.

While that may shrink the pool of elite QB prospects, it does not eliminate it. But there are more sources of NFL talent, and the Rams have successfully tapped into alternatives in terms of landing starting level talent. One of the team's latest success stories was the addition of veteran defensive back Ahkello Witherspoon, a player who has exceeded all expectations so far.

Buy low, coach up, sell high

The key to building a roster capable of competing in the NFL Playoffs and even holding a solid chance of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy is not just about signing a roster of All-Pro players. No team can afford to do so. So there must be another path to success.

The real mechanics behind winning in the NFL is not just about the stars who fill the weekly highlight reels. It's about the value of all contributors. The LA Rams have addressed that 'secret sauce,' in the past by coaching up undrafted and late round rookies into rotational roles. The problem with the Rams method of constructing a roster in that manner is that the supply of the next wave of talented players does not always arrive when the Rams need to replenish that position.

That has forced the Rams front office to tap other less conventional sources of talent to use as the mortar to fill in the spaces on the roster between the starters and elite players. The trick is to identify and sign a player who has fallen out of favor, and hope for a chance to rejuvenate that player to a higher level of performance. If that fails to occur, the Rams shrivel and struggle to win games.