Rams coaching staff is set up to develop quarterbacks, including Stetson Bennett

Some believe that the LA Rams quarterback room is paper thin, and was not future prospect currently on the roster who is an understudy to starting veteran QB Matthew Stafford. Others see the team's investment at quarterback as Stafford, a 2023 quarterback Stetson Bennett, and they will be joined in Week 3 by veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo, and believe this is as deep of a quarterback room as this team has ever had.

Some do not like the fact that second-year QB Stetson Bennett threw five interceptions in preseason. Others don't like the fact that the Rams signed a former 49ers starting quarterback to backup Stafford. In the end, if you want to find flaws in players, you can find them.

But let's look at this team from another perspective.

It's safe to say that the LA Rams did not exactly get the type of season they had hoped for when selecting former Georgia star quarterback Stetson Bennett in Round 4 of the 2023 NFL Draft. But let's be clear, Stetson Bennett and practically every rookie from the 2023 NFL season had to adjust to a new city, new teammates, new philosophy, new coaches, and a new brand of football rather quickly. Some prospects adapt quickly. Others take time to adjust. Bennett was absent from all forms of football for nearly a year.

In 2023, the Rams had surrendered to the fact that younger players need time to transition. For the first time in HC Sean McVay's tenure with the team, the goal was to become more competitive, not just to get to the NFL Playoffs. Curiously, it was the willingness to go young and create opportunities to play for rookies and second-year players that shattered the glass ceiling for this team. No one factor pivoted this team from an 8-18 descent to rise to the 2024 NFL Playoffs with a 7-1 run.

It seemed as though everyone on the roster found some way to contribute.

Even touted QBs struggle in the NFL

Let's focus on the least experienced quarterback on the Rams roster, second-year QB Stetson Bennett. It's no stretch of the trutch to admit that few fans rolled out the red carpet and applauded his selection with the 128th overall pick in Round 4 of the 2023 NFL Draft. But quarterbacks who are selected are not instant success stories. Just check out the aftermath of the 2021 draft QB class, and you can see that players to are chosen even in Round 1 can struggle:

So who was chosen in the 2023 NFL Draft? Ah, that's the right question. 14 quarterbacks were selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, and Stetson Bennett was the seventh quarterback chosen in the draft. So how have those quarterbacks done so far? Let's examine the entire draft class and see how the group is doing?

• Bryce Young | 1st overall | Carolina Panthers | 16 starts | 2877 yards | 11 TDs | 10 INTs
• CJ Stroud | 2nd overall | Houston Texans | 15 starts | 4108 yards | 23 TDs | 5 INTs
• Anthony Richardson | 4th overall | Indianapolis Colts | 4 starts | 577 yards | 3 TDs | 1 INT
• Will Levis | 33rd overall | Tennessee Titans | 9 starts | 1808 yards | 8 TDs | 4 INTs
• Hendon Hooker | 68th overall | Detroit Lions | No stats - On Roster
• Jake Haener | 127th overall | New Orleans Saints | No stats - On Roster
• Stetson Bennett | 128th overall | Los Angeles Rams | No stats - On Roster
• Aidan O'Connell | 135th overall | Las Vegas Raiders | 10 starts | 2218 yards | 12 TDs | 7 INTs
• Clayton Tune | 139th overall | Arizona Cardinals | 1 start | 62 yards | 0 TDs | 2 INTs
• Dorian Thompson-Robinson | 140th overall | Cleveland Browns | 3 starts | 440 yards | 1 TD | 4 INTs
• Sean Clifford | 149th overall | Green Bay Packers | 0 starts | -(2) yards | 0 TDs | 0 INTs | RELEASED
• Jaren Hall | 164th overall | Minnesota Vikings | 2 starts | 168 yards | 0 TDs | 1 INT
• Tanner McKee | 188th overall | Philadelphia Eagles | No stats - On Roster
• Max Duggan | 239th overall | Los Angeles Chargers | No stats - RELEASED

Of the 14 quarterbacks selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, two have already been released. Of the remaining 12 quarterbacks, four have generated no stats. Of the remaining eight quarterbacks, they have accounted for 58 passing touchdowns and 34 interceptions in 60 starts.

Clearly, opportunity is the key to success in the NFL. For those 2023 rookie quarterbacks with fewer than nine starts, there is still a bit of mystery that surrounds their future. But ever for those quarterbacks who have gotten plenty of work so far, the NFL is a tough job for young quarterbacks to master. Adversity will come in waves. For many young hurlers, it could be the first time facing a period of struggle.

As you can see from the chart above, only three out of 14 quarterbacks threw for more than 2000 passing yards in 2023. I would consider only CJ Stroud as a true NFL success story so far. And yet, the tales of so many other quarterbacks, including Stetson Bennett, have yet to be fully written.

So it's time to see how the Rams intend to help Beneett along in 2024. He'll get by with a lot of help from the coaching staff.

Rams reinforce coaching staff to support QBs in 2024

Don't believe that the Rams QB room is not capable of supporting this offense in 2024. In fact, not only has the Rams roster never been this talented depth-wise, but the team made it a point to ensure that developing quarterbacks was part of offensive coaches' resumes. The team made it a point to ensure plenty of quarterback-capable coaches joined the staff for 2024:

The LA Rams football team understood the challenges of their quarterback room in 2024. Stetson Bennett had football-related atrophy and would need a gentle but intensive training camp to get back to the level of the NFL. Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, while a seasoned veteran, would need to find a positively-charged team experience. He was traded from the 49ers without much fanfare and landed in the worst possible situation a quarterback would encounter.

1. John Streicher | Game Management Coordinator | Story Link
2. Dave Ragone | QB Coach | Story Link
3. Nate Scheelhaase | Offensive Assistant, Pass Game Specialist | Story Link
4. Jerry Schuplinski | Senior Offensive Assistant | Story Link

These coaches have not just worked with young coaches in their careers but demonstrated the ability to coach up young quarterbacks to be ready for gameday opportunities if and when they might happen. Jerry Schuplinski coached up backup quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett during his time with the New England Patriots. Dave Ragone worked with Chicago Bears quarterbacks, including bolstering the play of young QB Mitch Trubisky.

And so, the question becomes, how are the coaches and Stetson Bennett doing in 2024? Here is where it gets fun.

Proof is in the preseason pudding

Let's compare the preseason statistics of two teams quarterback rooms. For the LA Rams, we will look at Stetson Bennett exclusively. For comparison purposes, we will examine the New Orleans Saints tandem of young quarterbacks: Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler. I chose those beccause Haener was selected just ahead of Stetson Bennett in the 2023 NFL Draft. And rookie QB Spencer Rattler was the favorite of many fans and blog sites as a potential replacement foe 2023 absent Bennett. So how do the two 'teams' compare?

• Stetson Bennett | 2 games | 41/69 | 59.4 % completion | 437 yards | 2 TDs | 5 INTS
• Jake Haener | 3 games | 24/43 | 55.8 % completion | 270 yards | 0 TDs | 0 INTs
• Spencer Rattler | 3 games | 20/38 | 52.8 % completion | 202 yards | 1 TD | 0 INTs
• New Orleans QBs | 3 games | 44/81 | 54.3 % completion | 472 yards | 1 TD | 0 INTs

As you can see by the comparison above, despite Bennett stepping away from football entirely for a year, his two-game performance rivals the three-game performance of two young quarterbacks who many fans and sites coveted. Yes, Bennetts interceptions need to be addressed, and they have been.

But across the board, Bennet is more accurate in terms of completion rates, is more productive in terms of yards passing, and his two touchdowns dwarf that of the two Saints QBs production combined over more preseason games.

The point here is not to throw shade at the New Orleans Saints, or any NFL team quarterback room. Rather, the point here is simply the brutal truth that Stetson Bennett is better than many fans realize. He sat the final preseason game, not because I convinced HC Sean McVay to give the guy a break, but because he earned the right to play for the team in 2024.

Bennett may not be the perfect backup. But some NFL analysts are showing plenty of love to backup quarterbacks right now, including rookie QB Spencer Rattler. So I am simply doing my part to present the other side.

Stetson Bennett has earned not only a slot on the Rams roster. He has re-earned the trust of the coaching staff. If you don't trust Bennett, trust the coaches.

As always, thank you for reading.