Rams: Nick Foles Is the Quarterback Team Has Been Waiting for

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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-is-the-quarterback-team-has-been-waiting-for

St. Louis Rams: Nick Foles Is the Quarterback Team Has Been Waiting for
By Travis Wakeman, Featured Columnist

In recent years, the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ershave ruled the NFC West. Even the Arizona Cardinals have found success in the stacked division, earning a postseason berth. But the St. Louis Rams have made it a solid four-team race with the additions they've made this offseason.

Bringing over Nick Fairley as a free agent from the Detroit Lions could give the team the league's best defensive line with Chris Long, Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers already there.

Using its first-round pick on running back Todd Gurley was an interesting choice for St. Louis, but it gives the team a dynamic player out of the backfield who could be the best running back to come from the college ranks in several years.

But perhaps the most important addition the team made was getting quarterback Nick Foles. Acquiring Folesrequired the team to give up on former No. 1 overall selection Sam Bradford, but that may have been long past due.

Bradford showed promise when he was on the field, but he had only played in seven games over the course of the last two seasons. It was time for the team to go in a new direction.

In Foles, the Rams get a 26-year-old quarterback who comes from a team that has been in the top three in scoring in each of the last two seasons. In 2013, he posted an incredible stat line of 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He finished that season with a 119.2 quarterback rating.

The Rams have made the most of what they've had to work with in Bradford's absence over the last several years, but the team hasn't made the postseason since 2004 and the fact that it hasn't had consistent play from the quarterback position is one of the main reasons why.

The Rams' best chance to make the playoffs with Bradford was in 2010. Playing the Seahawks in the season finale, the Rams needed to win a game in Seattle to win the division and earn a playoff berth.

(Click link and scroll down to see Rams passing stats since 2005).

Bradford was outplayed by journeyman quarterback Charlie Whitehurst and the Rams lost 16-6.

Truthfully, the Rams haven't seen consistency from the quarterback position since Marc Bulger ran the offense. Coincidentally, they haven't been to the playoffs since he was the quarterback in 2004.

Since 2006, the Rams have had 11 different players start at least one game at quarterback. The team needs a long-term answer at the position and Foles could be just that.

Foles has all the weapons he'll need at his disposal. Gurley and Tre Mason should make an excellent combination at the running back spot. Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Kenny Britt and Brian Quick are a great blend of wide receivers who will give Foles size, speed and athleticism to target on the field.
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Nick Foles now has gotten a first-round running back, a second-round tackle, a third-round guard and a fourth-round tackle.
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He has a big, athletic tight end in Jared Cook as well as a great blocking tight end in Lance Kendricks.

The question mark will be the offensive line. The Rams selected four offensive linemen in the NFL draft and it appears that it will be an open competition at many of the spots along the line throughout training camp.

Protecting Foles will be key, especially since he'll be coming off a broken collarbone that ended his 2014 season. Inside a clean pocket,Foles is a dangerous passer who can make all the throws. Foles shows poise in the pocket and his short to intermediate accuracy is very good.

That could make guys like Austin and Bailey extremely dangerous for defenses on crossing routes and quick slants.

Foles is also deceptive on his feet. He has the ability to extend plays and pick up yards as a runner. In his career, he has converted 26 runs into first downs while also rushing for four touchdowns.

There is a lot to like about how the Rams are building as a team. The defense is nasty and won't give up any easy points. The offense is loaded with playmakers. One thing has been missing, and an offseason trade with the Philadelphia Eagles may end up being one of the most important transactions in team history.

Foles is the quarterback to help the Rams turn the corner.
 

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Our support cast is the best it's been in a long while. That said it's a very average to maybe below average support cast. There is some great potential there, but it remains to be seen if it will materialize. This isn't the Eagles. We need Foles to play solid football. We don't need Peyton Manning, we need Alex Smith. Now we would gladly take Peyton, but with this defense we just need solid QB play.
 

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It all starts in the trenches. For years we have been hammering about how there were no resources committed to the Oline. That is no longer the case. Coach Bou it is your time to shine, coach em up and put together a line of big young hungry studs and let's pile drive this league.

All Foles needs to do is hold on to the ball, hand it off cleanly and throw it about 20 times a game without forcing turnovers.
 

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dky9yHW.jpg
 

-X-

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All Foles needs to do is hold on to the ball, hand it off cleanly and throw it about 20 times a game without forcing turnovers.
I don't think there will be a single game this year where he throws the ball *only* 20 times.
 

blackbart

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I don't think there will be a single game this year where he throws the ball *only* 20 times.
Probably not but it would be nice it they are able to just jam it down team's throats with the running game so he doesn't have to
 

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That still makes me sick. Danario had such big time talent as well.
Oh well. That drop (and drop is generous seen as he didn't even touch it - it just went straight through his hands) gave us Robert Quinn so its not all bad. To think though that we went from a 1-15 team to 7-9 the very next year with Bradford - and then all this stuff happened....and we're back at square one....
 

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Probably not but it would be nice it they are able to just jam it down team's throats with the running game so he doesn't have to
True. True.

I like the idea of not having to rely on the QB that much, but I just don't think you assemble that many receivers over the course of a few years and not plan to use them quite often. It's true that the run game opens the passing game, but that also works the other way around too. I think I'd like to see us attack teams through the air and THEN gash them on the ground. At the very least, it will be nice to be able to establish a lead and then be able to hold it with an effective ground game.
 

RaminExile

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True. True.

I like the idea of not having to rely on the QB that much, but I just don't think you assemble that many receivers over the course of a few years and not plan to use them quite often. It's true that the run game opens the passing game, but that also works the other way around too. I think I'd like to see us attack teams through the air and THEN gash them on the ground. At the very least, it will be nice to be able to establish a lead and then be able to hold it with an effective ground game.

That plans always solid - but it can be a little one dimensional. There are times where you go down in games early. Freaky things happen - an early INT or fumble - a big play on a kickoff or something like that. If you go into the half down by 14 or more you're going to have to push it down the field. That's really where we fell down last year and the year before with back up QBs. They were ok in "game manager" mode - but couldn't orchestrate come backs. Foles should give us that extra dimension. Other than that yeah - I'd love us to really hurt teams with deep explosive passes on play action because they are so committed to trying to stifle our monstrous ground game.
 

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That plans always solid - but it can be a little one dimensional. There are times where you go down in games early. Freaky things happen - an early INT or fumble - a big play on a kickoff or something like that. If you go into the half down by 14 or more you're going to have to push it down the field. That's really where we fell down last year and the year before with back up QBs. They were ok in "game manager" mode - but couldn't orchestrate come backs. Foles should give us that extra dimension. Other than that yeah - I'd love us to really hurt teams with deep explosive passes on play action because they are so committed to trying to stifle our monstrous ground game.
VcaOTTI.jpg
 

RamFan503

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True. True.

I like the idea of not having to rely on the QB that much, but I just don't think you assemble that many receivers over the course of a few years and not plan to use them quite often. It's true that the run game opens the passing game, but that also works the other way around too. I think I'd like to see us attack teams through the air and THEN gash them on the ground. At the very least, it will be nice to be able to establish a lead and then be able to hold it with an effective ground game.

That plans always solid - but it can be a little one dimensional. There are times where you go down in games early. Freaky things happen - an early INT or fumble - a big play on a kickoff or something like that. If you go into the half down by 14 or more you're going to have to push it down the field. That's really where we fell down last year and the year before with back up QBs. They were ok in "game manager" mode - but couldn't orchestrate come backs. Foles should give us that extra dimension. Other than that yeah - I'd love us to really hurt teams with deep explosive passes on play action because they are so committed to trying to stifle our monstrous ground game.

Not many teams are great against both the run and the pass. My hope is that we will be strong in both aspects and jam it down a team like Seattle's throat and then burn Frisco deep. Sure would be nice to play strength against weakness.

But yeah - even with Fish's supposed tendency to favor the run, his teams don't exactly shy away from the pass. I honestly think we have the makings of a pretty explosive offense if our O-line is able to gel and play like a unit. This unit is young and strong and I think that will make up for some lack of experience. I got a life supply of Koolaide.
 

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But is he the hero we deserve?
 

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Put me in the camp who still believes in Bradford. I think he will have a huge season in Philly.

But; I am also ready to admit we HAD to make this move. If Sam got hurt again, Fisher/Snead would look like fools.

Foles is a good bet to have success in the Fisher system. Maybe not at Bradford's ceiling, but potentially very good.
 

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Us Rams fans deserve a good QB and we deserve some strong playoff runs over the next 5 years or more. We have experienced so much losing from the 90's on and even with the GSOT greatness for a short time we still have been long suffering fans. GSOT should have been dominant for 4-5 years and was not. Then it all came crashing down. All of our hopes and dreams that were coming to fruition were down the crapper. Then the hell of Linehan and Spags and the degradation of the roster into a pile of rejects thanks to Zygmunts backloading of contracts. It was an aweful miserable run of hoping each year for improvement only to see another 3 win season.

The time is now and the pieces are in place and Rams fans really need for Nick Foles to be a good QB. Please God of Football, allow it to be so. You graced the Seahawks fans with Wilson, please give us the Foles that we hope he can be!