I don't think McVay gives 2 shits about who's being paid the most $ when it comes to deciding who starts. That may have been the case with the crew that was just sent packing... but no way is that the case with our new HC. Just look at what happened with RG-me and Cousins back in Washington.
McVay will start the player that he feels gives the club the best chance to win. I'm sure that Mannion probably was better prepared than Goff was last season... but I bet our Boi Goff will win the starting job fairly this year.
But like I said... if Mannion beats Goff out... McVay isn't gonna start Goff over him because of his draft/payroll #. McVay didn't draft Goff.
Proof of that is that Kupp is already considered a "starter" at WR going into camp based solely on his mini-camp. He was that impressive. Nothing schematic about it, but the Rams are using 3 starting WRs, those being Tavon, Woods, and Kupp.
I totally agree about any Goff v Mannion stuff. McVay is gonna play who earns the job. He's got no allegiance to anyone, save maybe the few he drafted and he doesn't strike me as someone who plays favorites (as we saw with him and Gruden in Washington).
Bottom line is winning. Pretty sure if Mannion leads us to an 11 win season that we're not going to hear a lot of grousing about how Goff should have played. Conversely, if Goff leads us to an 11 win season, I'm pretty sure that we won't hear much guff about how Mannion should have played.
It's all about winning.
I just hope whoever wins the starting job, people get behind them, be it Goff or Mannion.