Rams fail to woo Kirk Cousins makes next quarterback moves blindingly obvious

The Los Angeles Rams may be a prime destination for some NFL quarterbacks. But not all quarterbacks relish the thought of gathering dust and cobwebs while holding a clipboard on the bench, while veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford dazzles fans. Despite the hopes of LA to woo veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to don the Horns, he has opted to go elsewhere.

The choice to compete for a starting quarterback position with the Las Vegas Raiders should come as no surprise. Many NFL quarterbacks would elect the chance to compete for a starting job, no matter which team they would be playing for. But Los Angeles appears to have fallen short on its sales pitch to the Kirk Cousins camp.

Now the team's next quarterback move is painfully obvious.

The link between quarterback Kirk Cousins and his former offensive coordinator, Sean McVay, was too obvious to ignore. But it's neither an absolute nor a sure thing. After all, McVay reunited with former Washington wide receiver DeSean Jackson, but that alliance only lasted a handful of games.

Rams next steps to quarterback solution is blindingly obvious

With Cousins off the market, the LA Rams next moves to restock the quarterback room seem blindingly obvious. First and foremost, look for general manager Les Snead to fast-track negotiations to return backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the team. But it won't stop there.

The chances of this team drafting a quarterback are increasing. Why?

The team was willing to upgrade (in theory) at the quarterback position by pursuing Kirk Cousins. And while that did not pan out, the interest in addressing the quarterback role more thoroughly has not dissipated. So if the team does the obvious move to re-sign Jimmy G., it falls to reason that will be step one for a two-step process.

That is not to say that the team will spend that valuable Round 1 pick on the position. But with Matthew Stafford, Stetson Bennett, and what is almost certainly the return of Garoppolo, the team is in serious need of a young quarterback with huge upside.

Both Stafford and Bennett are under contract through 2026. That creates a huge crater on this roster, and one that not even a multi-year deal with Garoppolo will fix.

Kirk Cousins is no longer an option for Los Angeles. But the steps to resolve quarterback succession are now crystal clear.

As always, thanks for reading.