Why LA Rams signing of Carson Wentz could be turning point for team

I: Rams get five years younger at QB

When the Rams traded quarterback Jared Goff and multiple picks to the Detroit Lions for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, the consensus of NFL fans, pundits, and analysts was that Goff benefitted from miraculous offensive strategy of LA Rams head coach Sean McVay. And in the first year of working with Stafford, resulting in a win in Super Bowl LVI, it seemed to be true.

But since winning that Super Bowl, Stafford and the Rams have struggled while Goff and the Lions have ascended to the best team in the NFC North Division. Except for part-time quarterback Baker Mayfield, the Rams have been less than inspiring over the past two seasons. Of course, the Rams did enjoy the Mayfield Miracle against the Las Vegas Raiders, and a throttling of the Denver Broncos.

So what is the problem? Well, we can no longer gloss over the fact that veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford is the oldest active quarterback in the NFL right now. Unless you are committed to running a Fantasy Football team, that fact should matter to Rams fans.

Why is age significant at NFL quarterback?

The challenge for any NFL player as they get older is not simply that the player loses a step. The real handicap is the fact that injuries that occur tend to be more severe as a player ages, and the time needed to heal gets longer and longer.

With Matthew Stafford's latest thumb injury, part of the challenge of assessing the extent of the injured thumb was the presence of scar tissue from a previous injury on the site. That is just one injury. If you have followed Stafford's career, you know that he has plenty of wear and tear on his body. So with each quarterback sack, quarterback hit, or even quarterback pressure, the chances of injury increase.

By signing quarterback Carson Wentz, the Rams set the calendar back five years. That is not to say that the Rams will get prime-time Matthew Stafford quality of play from Carson Wentz. It is not even my assertion that the Rams will get prime-time Carson Wentz out of the quarterback position. The Rams roster simply can and should expect a competent backup who does not place the Rams into a must-run and must-defend situation.

I'm not saying that the Rams win with Wentz. But the LA Rams have a much better chance of winning with Wentz as the backup quarterback than any other quarterback this season. If it works out, the Rams have an option to retain Wentz for the foreseeable future. If it doesn't work out? The Rams are no worse off.

I believe that the Rams front office made the right strategic move by signing Wentz. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section of our Facebook page.