The outcome of 4 vital Rams players dictates the entire offseason strategy

I: Second year QB Stetson Bennett

The path of soon-to-be second-year quarterback Stetson Bennett has not been an easy one to this point. He has undeniably had to face overwhelming odds just to play the game of football, even as a walk-on player for the Georgia Bulldogs. So it is not an unusual challenge for the young hurler to confront in his second year in the NFL. Many doubt his ability to play the game. An even greater number of fans believe that he truly does not deserve a place on the Rams roster.

It's another perfect scenario that he has faced time and time again in the past. And with each challenge, he has proven his naysayers wrong. I believe that he is not the only entity with a stake in his success. The Rams have already invested a valuable draft pick and an entire training camp into the belief that Bennett would become the team's backup quarterback. And as painful as this may be to some fans, I believe that the team has every intention of trying to salvage his career.

Do you recall how the entire Rams organization rallied to get the careers of TE/WR Jacob Harris and WR Tutu Atwell back on track after very disappointing rookie seasons plagued with injuries and a lack of production? I think that the second-year of QB Stetson Bennett falls into the same category. The only part that is missing is the ability or simply the willingness of the team to share their plans for their young quarterback for 2024.

How does this impact the team's offseason strategy?

There is a marked difference to where the team's priority lies in 2024, depending on how the immediate future of Stetson Bennett falls. If he is assumed to be gone, then the backup quarterback role is of the utmost urgency to address quickly and emphatically this offseason. If Bennett is presumed to return, but his football effectiveness is uncertain, then the Rams could get by with a Day 3 rookie quarterback who can push for playing time in OTAs and training camp, but is not the presumed backup.

But if the coaching staff has a comfort level in the belief that Bennett will be back and will pick right up where he left off, how urgent is the backup quarterback position:? By all accounts, the Rams resume their 2024 offseason where the team left off in 2023, with only veteran QB Brett Rypien absent.