Fitz released by Titans. Anyone interested as a backup?

[Thordaddy]

I can tell you were I havent been.. Watching Detroit.

Too bad, it was must see TV watching Stafford chew on Linehans butt and Linny laughing and taking it,that guy is SPINELESS

 

[MTRamsFan]

Sign him, and draft a QB to mold as a backup for the future. He is still pretty mobile and has good arm strength. I always liked him when he played for us. Started with the Rams, let him end his career with the Rams.

 

[Sum1]

Fitxharvard would cost more and bring no more than Grossman IMO
Either one would have to go with the same game plan and not try to win the game with their arm like Clemens did,play well inside themselves if called upon, IMO Grossman did just that for Chi.

I don't see why you think one would cost more than the other. They are probably going to get about the same deal.

I'd be happy with either one.

 

[RamFan503]

Fitz AND a middle round draft QB sounds pretty good to me. It all depends on what they really think of Davis. But I get the feeling they knew Fitz being released was a real possibility before they tendered Austin. He may be as good as any middle rounder at this point and I wouldn't be surprised if they just roll with him at #2.

 

[Ramhusker]

Fitz AND a middle round draft QB sounds pretty good to me. It all depends on what they really think of Davis. But I get the feeling they knew Fitz being released was a real possibility before they tendered Austin. He may be as good as any middle rounder at this point and I wouldn't be surprised if they just roll with him at #2.

That scares the hell out of me but it's going to be a mute point right? Sam Bradford is going to go off this year!!!!!!!

 

[mr.stlouis]

I change my vote to... NO!!!

Let's just go all in on the draft. It was rediculous to see our scrubs get paid that much. Just goes to show what the rest of the NFL thinks of players from the NFCW.

Then again, most of them guys got over payed.

 

[A55VA6]

I'm thinking Rams will just draft a QB and go with Bradford, Davis, Rookie

 

[OnceARam]

I like Fitz. But not for us. We need a young guy we can develop. If Bradford is going down, then Bradford is going down. We can't be going into the season with a "kick stand", which is all Fitz would be.

 

[moklerman]

As poorly as Davis looked and the fact that they let him go, I don't think there was much more to the Rams re-signing him than familiarity. As opposed to having any plans for him. As it stands right now, the Rams don't even have anyone to run the offense in camp so I think that's what he's for. Let him put all the mileage on his arm. A veteran who knows the system seem like the best path to me for a backup. I don't think this regime has any desire to go through the growing pains and learning curve of a mid to late round QB.

It seems their focus is to keep Bradford healthy and get him more help and I'm fine with that. At least for this year. I believe that playing time is the best way to "groom" a QB so with Bradford's year being as important as it is to him and to the Rams and bringing in a new backup just in case the worst happens, I don't see this prayer/project QB getting much work anyway. 2014 will play itself out and dictate what the Rams need to do about the QB position. Bradford will either stay healthy and continue playing well or he'll get hurt and the Rams will move on.

If the latter occurs, they will be in a better spot to draft a QB at that point anyway so drafting one on a flier this year just doesn't make sense to me for a variety of reasons.

 

[Alan]

But we'll have lost a year of development time.

 

[moklerman]

But we'll have lost a year of development time.

I addressed that. 2014 is Bradford's make or break year and the Rams will be breaking in a new backup. 3rd stringer isn't going to be be getting any developmental time.

 

[Dagonet]

I can tell you were I havent been.. Watching Detroit.

LMAO.. I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Alan]

moklerman with this:
I addressed that. 2014 is Bradford's make or break year and the Rams will be breaking in a new backup. 3rd stringer isn't going to be be getting any developmental time.

Well, you mentioned it but you didn't address it IMO. If this is SB's make or break year as you contend, then what happens if he breaks? You say " I don't see this prayer/project QB getting much work anyway" and I say what do you mean by work? I see nothing wrong with having an Aaron Rodgers learning the system and the speed of the game even if he has a clipboard in his hands most of the time. It's a system that worked very well for many years. It's just not done as often now because of the money angle and other reasons.

 

[OnceARam]

Well, you mentioned it but you didn't address it IMO. If this is SB's make or break year as you contend, then what happens if he breaks? You say " I don't see this prayer/project QB getting much work anyway" and I say what do you mean by work? I see nothing wrong with having an Aaron Rodgers learning the system and the speed of the game even if he has a clipboard in his hands most of the time. It's a system that worked very well for many years. It's just not done as often now because of the money angle and other reasons.

True. With the new CBA this should be something that is phased back into the game.

 

[moklerman]

Well, you mentioned it but you didn't address it IMO. If this is SB's make or break year as you contend, then what happens if he breaks? You say " I don't see this prayer/project QB getting much work anyway" and I say what do you mean by work? I see nothing wrong with having an Aaron Rodgers learning the system and the speed of the game even if he has a clipboard in his hands most of the time. It's a system that worked very well for many years. It's just not done as often now because of the money angle and other reasons.

If he breaks, the Rams are drafting a QBOF in 2015 or making a play for a FA. If Bradford was 36 years old and an Aaron Rodgers type fell in the draft, then fine, follow that recipe. But you're talking about a 3rd round talent being groomed by the Rams not a 1st round talent. In that scenario, GB thought Favre would be hanging up his cleats in the near future. Not to mention, there's no way they actually planned to take Rodgers. He unexpectedly fell to them.

As far as what I mean by work, is a relatively normal workload for a young QB. Going back to the GB example, Favre didn't need any rep's in preseason when Rodgers was drafted. Bradford will. He's coming off of injury and will need to get back into shape and rhythm. I'd be really surprised if the Rams drafted a young QB and made him the backup as Rodgers was as a rookie so I don't see how this hypothetical draft pick is going to get much, if any real work this offseason/training camp. If that's the case, then I think it's far more prudent to wait on drafting a QB until next year.

 

[Alan]

moklerman wanting to have his cake and eat it too:
If he breaks, the Rams are drafting a QBOF in 2015 or making a play for a FA. If Bradford was 36 years old and an Aaron Rodgers type fell in the draft, then fine, follow that recipe. But you're talking about a 3rd round talent being groomed by the Rams not a 1st round talent. In that scenario, GB thought Favre would be hanging up his cleats in the near future. Not to mention, there's no way they actually planned to take Rodgers. He unexpectedly fell to them.

As far as what I mean by work, is a relatively normal workload for a young QB. Going back to the GB example, Favre didn't need any rep's in preseason when Rodgers was drafted. Bradford will. He's coming off of injury and will need to get back into shape and rhythm. I'd be really surprised if the Rams drafted a young QB and made him the backup as Rodgers was as a rookie so I don't see how this hypothetical draft pick is going to get much, if any real work this offseason/training camp. If that's the case, then I think it's far more prudent to wait on drafting a QB until next year.

I don't think you can have it both ways mokler. What's the difference in SB getting too old and needing to be replaced and SB being too injury prone/crappy and needing to be replaced? Either way, you need a replacement and having a QB who has practiced and learned the system is far preferable to having a total rookie. Both of your examples use the same flawed (IMO) logic. Unless you've changed your mind and you think SB will be with us for a long time? The Cheatriots are doing the same thing with Mallett (picked in your third round scenario). I understand they got some good offers for him in FA this year.

Your point about anyone we're likely to be drafting being only a 3rd rounder (I don't want to draft one until the 4th) is a much better one IMO. Here's my thinking on that. I don't want to just draft a QB because we need one, I want to draft a QB who the brass thinks has the capability to be good but isn't there now. Even if he doesn't eventually become good he can help the team until we can get a franchise QB. Think Cassel. He came in and led a talent rich team (and I expect us to be a talent laden team soon) to a very good record. Once he went to a team with much less talent his flaws became apparent but in the meantime he held the fort and they got a good draft pick when they traded him. That's not going to happen with a Vick or Freeman type.

As for waiting for next year, again I go back to my original statement, we lose a year of development.

 

[nighttrain]

SB is going to be great, quit with the worrying
train

 

[Alan]

 

[moklerman]

I don't think you can have it both ways mokler. What's the difference in SB getting too old and needing to be replaced and SB being too injury prone/crappy and needing to be replaced? Either way, you need a replacement and having a QB who has practiced and learned the system is far preferable to having a total rookie. Both of your examples use the same flawed (IMO) logic. Unless you've changed your mind and you think SB will be with us for a long time? The Cheatriots are doing the same thing with Mallett (picked in your third round scenario). I understand they got some good offers for him in FA this year.

Your point about anyone we're likely to be drafting being only a 3rd rounder (I don't want to draft one until the 4th) is a much better one IMO. Here's my thinking on that. I don't want to just draft a QB because we need one, I want to draft a QB who the brass thinks has the capability to be good but isn't there now. Even if he doesn't eventually become good he can help the team until we can get a franchise QB. Think Cassel. He came in and led a talent rich team (and I expect us to be a talent laden team soon) to a very good record. Once he went to a team with much less talent his flaws became apparent but in the meantime he held the fort and they got a good draft pick when they traded him. That's not going to happen with a Vick or Freeman type.

As for waiting for next year, again I go back to my original statement, we lose a year of development.

Because your scenario depends on Bradford being injury prone and sucking. Drafting a QB this year assumes those things to be likely or true. Which I don't think they are. For Green Bay, it wasn't even a plan IMO. They weren't going to take a QB in the first round that year. Favre was aging but not old. He'd just come off a 4,000 yard, 30 TD year and the Packers were a playoff team. Rodgers fell in their lap and they took a value pick and planned ahead once the option was presented to them.

Taking a third or fourth round QB in this year's draft for the Rams wouldn't be anything like that. The Packers took Rodgers, I'm assuming, expecting Favre to play another couple of years until he was 38. At this point in time, I assume the Rams are hoping Bradford plays another 5-8 years at least. They have said they are all in on Bradford and he's their QB. He's only 26 so there's really no cause for drafting and developing someone else. Not this year, anyway. It's a waste of resources. You keep going back to the hypothetical QB losing a year of development and I guess that's where we're getting stuck because I don't feel like that QB, for the 2014 Rams, will get much chance to develop. I don't believe he will benefit much from just being in the building and osmosis.

Which is what I think the Rams would do with him. He wouldn't be the backup right away so he's going to be 3rd string or practice squad which means he won't learn much, if at all. They already have Austin Davis. That's what and who he is. He gets scraps and he hasn't "developed" IMO. Late round QB's usually turn into Rusty Smith, not Tom Brady so I just don't think it's a good idea to plan around the lottery.

I mean, that is your scenario isn't it? Draft a guy 3rd round or later, put him 3rd string or practice squad behind Bradford and the backup? Or would you make him the backup(like Rodgers was to Favre)?

 

[Alan]

My scenario doesn't require SB to suck or get injured, it merely provides a viable option if that happens. Think of it as life insurance. We all expect to live until we die of old age but that doesn't mean we don't plan for the worst does it.

You caught me as I was about to head for my couch to take a nap and I only read your first sentence. I'll address the rest of it, if necessary, after I get up.