Rams rumors: How do you feel about NFL Insiders choice of 7 struggling QBs?

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Option III: From Colts to Horns?

I have never failed to hope for the LA Rams to add QB Gardner Minshew to the roster for the past five NFL seasons. Minshew always seems to have his team compete, has been willing to sign team-friendly contracts, and has been able to put up solid statistics despite playing in three different offenses over five years.

At 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, he may not tower above everyone else in the room, but let him line up under center and he immediately looks the part of an NFL quarterback. In 2023, he held down the fort while rookie Anthony Richardson rehabbed after his season-ending shoulder injury. Just for the record, the Colts were able to go 7-6 with Minshew at quarterback in 2023.

While I have been incredibly high on Minshew as a fiesty and competitive quarterback option for the team, and a solid McVay-like prodege to lead this offense, I am not the only one who has connected the dots:

The Rams need to improve their backup quarterback situation heading into 2023. That doesn't mean spending $6.5M-$10M on the position with Mayfield.

Can draft a rookie. Drew Lock and Gardner Minshew are also FAs and will be much cheaper.
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) December 13, 2022

The part that I love most about Minshew is his ability to come off the bench and just start letting 'er fly. In five NFL seasons, he has appeared in 49 games, and started 37 contests. So far, he has completed 891 of 1,423 passes thrown for 9,937 yards, 59 touchdowns, and only 24 interceptions.

Better still, he can move the chains with his legs as well. He has rushed 146 times for 621 yards, five touchdowns, and fumbled 30 times. He never backs down from a challenge. He has proven repeatedly that he can take a licking and keep on ticking. And as he proved to the entire NFL, he can step up at a moment's notice to sub in for an injured quarterback for an extended period of time and keep the team competitive.

Durability and efficiency should be given significant weight by the front office if they seek a veteran to assume the role of backup quarterback in 2024. I would be thrilled if Gardner Minshew became that guy. Still, the Colts are expected to make a push to re-sign Minshew, and Les Snead seldom willingly enters into a bidding war for any player.

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