Rams may have to reboot draft strategy after shocking Jimmy Garoppolo news

Well, the Los Angeles Rams weren't counting on this: Jimmy Garoppolo is reportedly considering retirement, and just like that, their fallback QB2 option may be gone. 

Still lingering in free agency, Garoppolo seemed like a good bet to rejoin the Rams, barring a lucrative offer elsewhere or a starting job. Now, not so much. 

Accordingly, Los Angeles can no longer approach the draft treating quarterback prospects as an afterthought, a position warranting a Day 3 dart-throw at best. Behind starter Matthew Stafford, Stetson Bennett is the only thing standing between the Rams and utter disaster. The free agent pool is diminished and unappealing.

To provide competition for Bennett or, ideally, an upgrade, the Horns might swing for ex-Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, a projected early second-round selection.

Is that too drastic? With the rug pulled out from underneath them, the Rams should at least mull over the consideration.

Rams could target Simpson in more aggressive approach 

Let's assume that adding Simpson would require either trading up from No. 61 in the second round or trading back from No. 13 in the first. Certainly, that's a more serious investment than the Rams likely planned to make at the quarterback position, but, as they say, desperate times call for…

Okay, calling the situation desperate would be an exaggeration, and that's exactly the trap the Rams can't fall into. That said, circumstances have suddenly become more urgent. Bennett isn't a real QB2. It's probably not realistic to ask Garrett Nussmeier or Drew Allar, projected to go late in Round 3 at the earliest, to come in and be one.

On the other hand, some view Simpson as the only quarterback not named Fernando Mendoza with Year 1 starting potential. While the Rams don't need all that, they might be able to secure an upgrade over Bennett and, whenever Stafford steps aside, the quarterback of the future.

That timeline would mirror Simpson's Alabama career. After three years on the bench, he led the SEC in completions and pass attempts as a senior, throwing for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. Could he step in as the starter after a year or two under Stafford? It's possible.

His 6.30 prospect grade from the NFL Combine classes Simpson in the "eventually will be plus starter" range. That's exactly what the Rams should be looking for; the question is whether the cost of trading up or down in the draft would be worth the investment. 

With Garoppolo possibly out of the picture, though, selecting Simpson suddenly makes a lot more sense as a hedge between short-term security and long-term upside.

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