Don't overlook this under-the-radar hire to the Rams coaching staff

Coach 'em up and ship 'em out

Despite the NFL's interest in clipping and grafting offensive from the Rams coaching staff, there has been very little interest in signing away former Rams quarterbacks by other teams. One of the handicaps of that strategy is how little time and value the team has invested into the backup quarterback role. Historically, the team had signed undrafted quarterbacks and only changed that pattern in 2022 when a tarnished veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield was cut by the Carolina Panthers.

He had impressive success after signing with the LA Rams midseason, and was a solid starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023.

The team, perhaps encouraged by the success with Mayfield, signed another downtrodden veteran quarterback in Carson Wentz in 2023. Wentz's lone start was an impressive win over the San Francisco 49er in Week 18. The Rams do seem to benefit better than expected by investing in the backup quarterback role.

Time to rethink how to optimize backup QB value

We had brought up the possibility of the Rams front office leveraging the unquenchable thirst in the NFL for members of the coaching staff who had input in offense by drafting and coaching up young quarterbacks to trade for picks. It's quite clear that the team has a much greater chance of success with a talented backup under center. And there is a bonus of trading proven backup quarterbacks, just like the Patriots did in 2017:

"There is even the added benefit for the LA Rams to leverage, and that is to select and develop a quarterback, specifically to dangle him on the trading block for a better pick then used to add him."

- Bret Stuter

While the role for Schuplinski is rather nebulous, he is certainly a coach who has had success at coaching up young quarterbacks in the past. Even if the team does not add a newsworthy quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, the team has both QB Stetson Bennett and Dresser Winn on the roster for the 2024 NFL season.