Rams give long look to quarterback prospects at combine
Feb. 27, 2016 Updated 10:19 p.m.
By RICH HAMMOND
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/quarterbacks-706084-rams-lynch.html
INDIANAPOLIS – The annual, comical debate over the hand size of quarterbacks commenced this past week and, once again, ended with the conclusion that everyone could properly grip and throw a football.
That’s good news for the Rams, who might draft one of these mysterious 10-fingered creations in a couple months. The issue isn’t hand size as much as whether those hands – and brain and heart – can be trusted, because after after three seasons of flux, the Rams would like some long-term stability at quarterback.
“I think getting consistency at that position is one thing,” Rams general manager Les Snead said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Finding good players is another.”
The options are plentiful. Nick Foles, Case Keenum and Sean Mannion are incumbents, but Coach Jeff Fisher has spoken bluntly about seeking an “upgrade.” A trade or free-agent acquisition is possible.
In fact, Fisher hinted that multiple quarterbacks could be on the way. It’s entirely possible that the Rams could sign or trade for a transitional quarterback for 2016 while they draft and develop his successor.
“There’s going to have to be a level of patience,” Snead said of drafting a quarterback. “You might go to the realistic scenario, and you find a guy who can bridge you and win games while maybe a young player is developing. That’s a realistic scenario. It’s nice to live in the ideal world sometimes, but it doesn’t happen.”
So what’s realistic? Start with the assumption that the presumed top two quarterbacks in the draft class, Cal’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, will be gone by the time the Rams pick at No. 15.
Assume Memphis’ Paxton Lynch is still available. Lynch is well-regarded but, of the top-tier quarterbacks, is presumed to be the least likely to become an immediate starter. If the Rams recognize the need for a “bridge” starter in 2016, are they willing to invest in Lynch, or take a more NFL-ready receiver at No. 15?
After days of tests, interviews and speculation, the top quarterback prospects finally got the chance to step on the field at the NFL Scouting Combine, and they didn’t disappoint Saturday.
Goff and Wentz appeared to have the strongest all-around performances while Lynch, at 6-foot-7 and 244 pounds, made strong throws and showed surprisingly good movement for a big quarterback.
The quarterbacks rotated and performed a variety of drills with the receiver prospects. They were tested on deep throws, out patterns, slant patterns and comebacks, but didn’t face any defenders.
Before the quarterbacks did throwing drills, they took part in the traditional running and jumping tests.
Wentz, at 6-5, 244 pounds, had a 40-yard dash time of 4.77 seconds, third-best among the 17 quarterbacks who participated. Goff (4.82) was 11th and Lynch (4.86) was 14th. Wentz and Lynch each recorded broad jumps of 118 inches, tied for second among quarterbacks.
USC’s Cody Kessler ran the 40 in 4.89 seconds, 15th among the 17 quarterbacks, and his broad jump of 104 inches ranked 16th, but Kessler is expected to be a late-round pick at best.
“There’s really no guy who's standing out right now,” Lynch said. “So any little edge you can get, whether it's throwing or agility or any of that stuff, you kind of want to take advantage of that.”
Lynch remains an intriguing option. He’s tall and athletic and had a strong senior season at Memphis, but struggled badly in a bowl game loss to Auburn and is inexperienced at taking snaps from under center.
“I’ve always relied on my athletic ability with my size and arm strength,” Lynch said, “but I know that’ll be a little different when I get to the NFL. Those guys are a lot faster, those windows are a lot smaller and those defenses do a lot more tricky stunts than they do in college. But I’m working hard. I’m training.”
Perhaps it’s a smokescreen, but when asked about quarterbacks this past week, Snead gave a lengthy statistic-based dissertation about how defense is arguably more important than an elite quarterback.
The implication seemed to be that the Rams could win by sticking with Keenum, who ended 2015 with a 3-1 record as starter (with the loss in overtime) when the Rams’ defense allowed only 70 points in four games.
If nothing else, though, the Rams will give long looks to the quarterback prospects, even if they end up drafting one who won’t get on the field in 2016.
“You can handle yourself in a rookie mini-camp and the OTAs,” Fisher said, “and you can handle your stuff in the third quarter or fourth quarter of a preseason game, because the talent level is probably not what it was in the first quarter. Then all of a sudden, when the lights come on, it’s hard.”
