Despite poor showing at NFL Combine, this hurler may be on Rams radar

Will the LA Rams address the backup quarterback role in the 2024 NFL Draft? While you may not believe that is the plan, there are clues to make me believe that the Rams intend to do exactly that. The reasons? Well, let me explain.

The Rams do not like to commit to veteran free agents on multi-year deals. That means that if the Rams sign a quarterback, it will be for an inexpensive one-year deal. That seldom gives the team the pick of the litter, but rather forces the front office to wait for all other options to be exhausted. That is how the team landed QB Baker Mayfield in 2022. It's also how the team landed QB Carson Wentz in 2023. Now, why wouldn't the tema simply wash, rinse, and repeat that same strategy in 2024?

It's doomed to fail.

If the quarterback struggles, then the team can simply part ways with him and no harm, no foul. But if they do succeed, just as both Baker Mayfield and Carson Wentz have done in this offense, then they price themselves out of the team's budget for a backup QB. And that simply ignores the fact that successful NFL veteran quarterbacks want to start for their own teams. The Rams cannot offer that opportunity.

Wash, rinse, repeat merely kicks the can down the road until the following NFL season. The team needs to have a more permanent solution than waiting for the next rainstorm to get a drink of water.

This rookie QB prospect could be the winning ticket

He may not be a track star, but South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler can play football. He is among the Top-10 quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, a class that is both deep and talented at the position. And he has a full four years at quarterback in college football. He is a mature 23.5 years of age and will turn 24 on September 20, 2024. That age may ward some teams off, but the LA Rams seem to gravitate to older, and hopefully more mature, rookie prospects.

If you are looking for a track and field star, then you won't be interested in Rattler. His 2024 NFL Combine performance was ho-hum at best. For any team that was on the fence about him, they have no reason to lean his way on a tie-breaker. But not all teams wait for Combine times to vet prospects. Most teams have already set up their boards or are in the process of doing so despite whatever emerges from the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

Which is good news for Spencer Rattler. See for yourself:

I don't believe that the front office is seeking a Matthew Stafford 2.0 in the 2024 NFL Draft. I believe that GM Les Snead would be thrilled with finding a Brock Purdy-like quarterback. Just one who is capable of running the offense and staying within the overall scheme.

So why would the team look at Spencer Rattler as a backup QB? I have several bullet points to help explain that:

• Quick release
• Not a dual-threat QB, but can evade the pass rush, extend plays, and scramble for the occasional first down
• Will stand tall in the pocket to complete a pass
• Allows plays to develop before throwing (not spooked)
• Great arm strength
• Can make off-platform and out-of-sequence throws with zip and accuracy
• Can improvise if play breaks down
• Knows how to lead his receivers in stride

Standing 6-foot-0 and weighing 211 pounds, Rattler is a bit undersized when compared to other quarterbacks. But the Rams were content to draft 5-foot-11, 190-pound Stetson Bennett in 2023. Rattler is a bit bigger, and has some impressive attributes

While some projections have him as high as late in Round 2, I believe that with his modest Combine performance and abundance of talent at other positions, he should fall to late Round 3. At that spot, he becomes great value and could be selected by the Rams.

No option is the perfect solution for the team's need to add a backup quarterback. But I believe that Spencer Rattler could be a solid quarterback behind Matthew Stafford for 2024, and beyond.