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http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20160511/bonsignore-recent-history-bodes-well-for-rams-jared-goff
A month or so before the Rams moved from the 15th spot in the first round of the NFL Draft to the first pick overall and before any discussion about starting the season with a rookie quarterback behind center, Rams general manager Les Snead opened a wide window to both possibilities.
The Rams, Snead explained during a break at the NFL owners meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., had already begun canvassing some of the teams drafting ahead of them about the possibility of swapping picks.
The target, obviously, was Cal quarterback Jared Goff, whom the Rams selected with the first pick overall after working a blockbuster deal with the Tennessee Titans and perching themselves atop the draft.
After surrendering five picks to acquire Goff, including next year’s No. 1 and No. 3, conventional wisdom would suggest the Rams are in a hurry to anoint him their starter.
Perhaps even in time for the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
Two months ago in Florida, though, Snead explained the folly of creating some artificial timeline to get a rookie quarterback onto the field.
“Because if you do draft someone and say: ‘He has to play by this date,’ it’s kind of like a false deadline,” Snead said “How do we even know that deal?”
In other words, slow your roll.
But then Snead told a fascinating story that bore an uncanny resemblance to the Goff addition to the Rams quarterback room,
And why Goff unseating Case Keenum as the Rams starting quarterback is more probable then unlikely.
GOFF SHOULD START SEASON OPENER
In 2007, Snead was working for the Atlanta Falcons when backup quarterback Chris Redman came off the bench late in the season and played well enough to earn a two-year contract and be installed as the starter for the 2008 season.
The connection to Keenum was obvious. Much like Redman did for the Falcons nine years ago, Keenum stabilized the Rams’ quarterback position by going 3-1 over the final four games of 2015. The Rams were impressed enough to re-sign Keenum and declare him the starting quarterback going into training camp.
But as Snead also explained, the Falcons used the third pick of the 2008 draft to select Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan. Much like the Rams have done with Goff, the Falcons immediately said Ryan would play only when he proved he was ready.
Which, as it turns out, didn’t take long at all.
“Lo and behold, after the third preseason game, we were like ... he’s ready,” Snead said.
That doesn’t mean Goff will take the field as the starter Sept. 12 in Santa Clara when the Rams open the season against the 49ers. That’s on him at this point.
GOFF REPORTS FOR DUTY AT ROOKIE CAMP
But as history has shown with rookie quarterbacks, some of it directly related to the Rams current leadership, Goff will be given every opportunity to do exactly that.
“We will do what’s right to develop him so he’s ready when he goes on the field on Sunday,” Snead said.
Count on it being much sooner rather than later.
A recent trend has developed in the NFL in which young quarterbacks are being pressed into starting duty almost immediately.
Last year the top two picks in the draft, Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston and Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota, won the starting job for their teams in training camp. Before them, first-round picks Ryan, Joe Flacco (Ravens) Mark Sanchez (Jets) Matthew Stafford (Lions), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Sam Bradford (Rams), Andrew Luck (Colts), Cam Newton (Panthers) and third-round pick Russell Wilson (Seahawks) all began their rookie years as their team’s starter.
Ryan, Flacco, Winston, Mariota, Stafford, Luck, Newton and Wilson all remain the starting quarterbacks for their original clubs.
Wilson has led the Seahawks to two Super Bowls, winning the 2013 title. Flacco won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2012. Newton led the Panthers to last year’s Super Bowl and Ryan, Luck and Stafford have all been to the playoffs.
That’s a pretty strong recent track record, which is why the Rams are clearly open and plenty motivated to follow a similar blueprint.
But they also won’t force it.
“We have always had the philosophy that we are going to play them when we think they are ready,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “We aren’t going to subject them to fail, so whenever that is, you are going to see him under center. We aren’t going to come out Day 1 and announce that he is a starter. It’s going to happen pretty soon, sooner than probably later. We have some things to do coaching-wise. He’s got to learn our offense, he’s got to get to know his teammates, get in sync with his receivers. So when that happens, I don’t know, but that has always been our philosophy.”
It should also be noted Goff is coming to a unique situation. In fact, relative to the roster Goff is joining, Wilson is the best comparison. And that should bode well for Goff.
Winston, Mariota, Stafford, Luck and Newton were all drafted by teams that earned their picks atop their respective drafts.
To put it bluntly, the Buccaneers, Titans, Lions, Colts and Panthers were all terrible.
Wilson, on the other hand, was drafted in the third round by a Seahawks team coming off a two consecutive 7-9 seasons and whose roster had been completely turned over by Pete Carroll.
Much like the Rams right now, the Seahawks were solid and sound across the board in 2012.
They just lacked a quality quarterback to elevate them from just OK to very good.
With Wilson behind center, the Seahawks went 11-5 and were a late field goal away from reaching the NFC Championship game in 2012, followed by a 13-3 finish and a Super Bowl championship in 2013.
That isn’t to say the Goff will guide the Rams to the Super Bowl in two years.
But he walks into a similar situation.
And as recent history shows, the Rams will give him every chance to walk onto the field in the season opener as their starting quarterback.
A month or so before the Rams moved from the 15th spot in the first round of the NFL Draft to the first pick overall and before any discussion about starting the season with a rookie quarterback behind center, Rams general manager Les Snead opened a wide window to both possibilities.
The Rams, Snead explained during a break at the NFL owners meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., had already begun canvassing some of the teams drafting ahead of them about the possibility of swapping picks.
The target, obviously, was Cal quarterback Jared Goff, whom the Rams selected with the first pick overall after working a blockbuster deal with the Tennessee Titans and perching themselves atop the draft.
After surrendering five picks to acquire Goff, including next year’s No. 1 and No. 3, conventional wisdom would suggest the Rams are in a hurry to anoint him their starter.
Perhaps even in time for the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
Two months ago in Florida, though, Snead explained the folly of creating some artificial timeline to get a rookie quarterback onto the field.
“Because if you do draft someone and say: ‘He has to play by this date,’ it’s kind of like a false deadline,” Snead said “How do we even know that deal?”
In other words, slow your roll.
But then Snead told a fascinating story that bore an uncanny resemblance to the Goff addition to the Rams quarterback room,
And why Goff unseating Case Keenum as the Rams starting quarterback is more probable then unlikely.
GOFF SHOULD START SEASON OPENER
In 2007, Snead was working for the Atlanta Falcons when backup quarterback Chris Redman came off the bench late in the season and played well enough to earn a two-year contract and be installed as the starter for the 2008 season.
The connection to Keenum was obvious. Much like Redman did for the Falcons nine years ago, Keenum stabilized the Rams’ quarterback position by going 3-1 over the final four games of 2015. The Rams were impressed enough to re-sign Keenum and declare him the starting quarterback going into training camp.
But as Snead also explained, the Falcons used the third pick of the 2008 draft to select Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan. Much like the Rams have done with Goff, the Falcons immediately said Ryan would play only when he proved he was ready.
Which, as it turns out, didn’t take long at all.
“Lo and behold, after the third preseason game, we were like ... he’s ready,” Snead said.
That doesn’t mean Goff will take the field as the starter Sept. 12 in Santa Clara when the Rams open the season against the 49ers. That’s on him at this point.
GOFF REPORTS FOR DUTY AT ROOKIE CAMP
But as history has shown with rookie quarterbacks, some of it directly related to the Rams current leadership, Goff will be given every opportunity to do exactly that.
“We will do what’s right to develop him so he’s ready when he goes on the field on Sunday,” Snead said.
Count on it being much sooner rather than later.
A recent trend has developed in the NFL in which young quarterbacks are being pressed into starting duty almost immediately.
Last year the top two picks in the draft, Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston and Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota, won the starting job for their teams in training camp. Before them, first-round picks Ryan, Joe Flacco (Ravens) Mark Sanchez (Jets) Matthew Stafford (Lions), Robert Griffin III (Redskins), Sam Bradford (Rams), Andrew Luck (Colts), Cam Newton (Panthers) and third-round pick Russell Wilson (Seahawks) all began their rookie years as their team’s starter.
Ryan, Flacco, Winston, Mariota, Stafford, Luck, Newton and Wilson all remain the starting quarterbacks for their original clubs.
Wilson has led the Seahawks to two Super Bowls, winning the 2013 title. Flacco won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2012. Newton led the Panthers to last year’s Super Bowl and Ryan, Luck and Stafford have all been to the playoffs.
That’s a pretty strong recent track record, which is why the Rams are clearly open and plenty motivated to follow a similar blueprint.
But they also won’t force it.
“We have always had the philosophy that we are going to play them when we think they are ready,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “We aren’t going to subject them to fail, so whenever that is, you are going to see him under center. We aren’t going to come out Day 1 and announce that he is a starter. It’s going to happen pretty soon, sooner than probably later. We have some things to do coaching-wise. He’s got to learn our offense, he’s got to get to know his teammates, get in sync with his receivers. So when that happens, I don’t know, but that has always been our philosophy.”
It should also be noted Goff is coming to a unique situation. In fact, relative to the roster Goff is joining, Wilson is the best comparison. And that should bode well for Goff.
Winston, Mariota, Stafford, Luck and Newton were all drafted by teams that earned their picks atop their respective drafts.
To put it bluntly, the Buccaneers, Titans, Lions, Colts and Panthers were all terrible.
Wilson, on the other hand, was drafted in the third round by a Seahawks team coming off a two consecutive 7-9 seasons and whose roster had been completely turned over by Pete Carroll.
Much like the Rams right now, the Seahawks were solid and sound across the board in 2012.
They just lacked a quality quarterback to elevate them from just OK to very good.
With Wilson behind center, the Seahawks went 11-5 and were a late field goal away from reaching the NFC Championship game in 2012, followed by a 13-3 finish and a Super Bowl championship in 2013.
That isn’t to say the Goff will guide the Rams to the Super Bowl in two years.
But he walks into a similar situation.
And as recent history shows, the Rams will give him every chance to walk onto the field in the season opener as their starting quarterback.
