Is Wolford a legit top end backup QB?

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XXXIVwin

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I loved the way Wolf moved the O and created plays off schedule vs Ariz and Sea. Smart, mobile, athletic, makes good decisions (needs to take care of himself better though, as others have rightly pointed out).

IMHO Wolford could be put into the lineup and win a playoff game if necessary.

So yeah, I'm very happy with Wolford as our backup QB.
 

PARAM

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I think he’s an adequate back up. He looked good against Arizona for his first time. I thought he looked shorter than his 6’-1” listed height.

I would like a better backup but how often does that happen?

Yeah, he doesn't look 6'1" but a lot more like 5'10". His mobility is his best attribute. The good news is he ran 7 times for 58 yards (8.2 ypc). The bad news is, it only took 7 runs to get his bell rung. Take that away and one of his best attributes is gone.

I too would like a better backup. The Rams are in a primo position to draft a backup with eyes towards replacing Stafford....ala Favre/Rodgers without the egos. I like the kid from Stanford but I doubt he lasts until 88. My dream draft would be Myers, Humphrey or Dickerson at #57, Davis Mills at #88, a CB at #103 and a WR or RB (Trey Sermon would be nice) in the 4th.
 

Jorgeh0605

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He did fine, he's cheap. If we draft a QB late, they are sitting on the practice squad for a few years. It really isn't an important position when you have someone like Stafford. Anyone coming off the bench is a big drop in talent. That being said, I'm a fan of these second string QBs that are very mobile. Adds something to the game that no one gameplanned for when they come off the bench and all the sudden defenses have to change a little bit.
 

wolfdogg

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Would have loved to see wolford finish the Seattle game and then play the packers. I definitely feel comfortable with him as our backup.
 

HE WITH HORNS

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A top end backup QB? Are you kidding me?

The guy has literally never thrown a TD in the NFL.

Maybe he will turn out okay, but I hope he never has to take another snap for us.
 

Merlin

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McVay started him in that playoff game so yes he's a legit backup QB. But I lost a ton of confidence in him when he didn't adjust after the Arizona game and went right back to doing what he did in taking vicious head shots.

In the end he only hurt himself. There aren't many opportunities to start playoff games for backup QBs. He blew it IMO and it's hard to trust that he's capable of not getting hurt if he has to start a few games. So IMO if there's a QB in the draft they like at any point after let's say round 3 then take him. Once Stafford wins his Super Bowl he's probably going to go back to thinking about money and security so it makes sense to take a shot on a dev guy each year and hope they hit.
 

Loyal

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McVay started him in that playoff game so yes he's a legit backup QB. But I lost a ton of confidence in him when he didn't adjust after the Arizona game and went right back to doing what he did in taking vicious head shots.

In the end he only hurt himself. There aren't many opportunities to start playoff games for backup QBs. He blew it IMO and it's hard to trust that he's capable of not getting hurt if he has to start a few games. So IMO if there's a QB in the draft they like at any point after let's say round 3 then take him. Once Stafford wins his Super Bowl he's probably going to go back to thinking about money and security so it makes sense to take a shot on a dev guy each year and hope they hit.
Yeah! ~ Kellen Clemens
 

CGI_Ram

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I am surprised Bortles is not desired as a top back-up. He passed for 4,400 and 3,900 yards in 2015-2016. Bortles can play.

But... He’s not starting due to inconsistency, just.. no slouch.

Wolford, who knows really. But, I saw enough to be comfortable with him as a back-up I think.
 

XXXIVwin

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And one can work hard, perfect their craft, become valuable, earn promotion after promotion and earn a million dollars.
Or, one could buy a lottery ticket and just wait....

Honestly, not quite sure what point you're making here.

If your point is, "the odds of winning a Super Bowl with a backup QB are about the same as winning the lottery," I'd of course have to strongly disagree. I looked it up, and backup QB's have won the Super Bowl an astonishing NINE times!

The list:
Earl Morrall
Nick Foles
Kurt Warner
Tom Brady
Doug Williams
Jeff Hosteler
Roger Staubach
Trent Dilfer
Jim Plunkett

So of course I'd strongly disagree with your prior statement that, "If your starting QB goes down, your season is pretty much over."

So yes, backup QB's definitely CAN take their teams all the way to the promised land, and it's actually not as rare as one would think.

A totally separate question: "Is Wolford capable of taking this team all the way, if Stafford got hurt?" Obviously McVay seems to think the answer is yes. And I agree with McVay.
 

Ram_Rally

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Top end? I wouldn't say that. Probably mid tier. Maybe even a little below that. But, and I'm knocking on wood for this, if Stafford were to miss like five games I wouldn't be surprised if Wolford could lead us to three and two or two and three.
 

So Ram

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Top end? I wouldn't say that. Probably mid tier. Maybe even a little below that. But, and I'm knocking on wood for this, if Stafford were to miss like five games I wouldn't be surprised if Wolford could lead us to three and two or two and three.

Well Mcvay had him starting against Arizona who The Rams got lucky Murray was hurt Imo.
That said Wolford was The Rams starting QB entering 2020 Playoffs.
That right there tells me the believe Sean Mcvay has in Wolford.
I’m not a Blake Bortles fan. His QB days are over.
 

dieterbrock

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If your point is, "the odds of winning a Super Bowl with a backup QB are about the same as winning the lottery," I'd of course have to strongly disagree. I looked it up, and backup QB's have won the Super Bowl an astonishing NINE times!
And how many teams played their backup qb and didnt win,forget the SB, didnt make the playoffs?? How did it work out for 49ers last year? Dallas? What happened to the Eagles in 2019? Pittsburgh? Indianapolis? The list goes on and on.
Not even going in to the poetic license you took with "backup qb", Roger Staubach, lol
 

XXXIVwin

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McVay started him in that playoff game so yes he's a legit backup QB. But I lost a ton of confidence in him when he didn't adjust after the Arizona game and went right back to doing what he did in taking vicious head shots.

In the end he only hurt himself. There aren't many opportunities to start playoff games for backup QBs. He blew it IMO and it's hard to trust that he's capable of not getting hurt if he has to start a few games. So IMO if there's a QB in the draft they like at any point after let's say round 3 then take him. Once Stafford wins his Super Bowl he's probably going to go back to thinking about money and security so it makes sense to take a shot on a dev guy each year and hope they hit.
I think it's too early to say Wolford is incapable of learning from his mistakes.

The ability to protect himself is clearly the one big GLARING weakness in his game. The fans know it, Wolford knows it, his coaches know it. Ending his season the way he did has to be a huge wake-up call. Gotta think he and his coaches are grinding away and studying film about how to be smart when he has to run.

But the jury is still out IMHO. Will Wolford be like Carson Wentz-- a guy who just can't seem to resist putting his body on the line and taking vicious hits? Or will he be like Russell Wilson-- a mobile QB who had developed an incredible skill at knowing exactly when to slide and avoid the big hit?

I'd be curious to see how Wolford is in his next NFL game. Will he have developed his skill in knowing how to protect himself? Maybe, maybe not. But I'm not ready to give up on him yet. McVay (and his teammates) seem really impressed with him.
 

XXXIVwin

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And how many teams played their backup qb and didnt win,forget the SB, didnt make the playoffs?? How did it work out for 49ers last year? Dallas? What happened to the Eagles in 2019? Pittsburgh? Indianapolis? The list goes on and on.
Not even going in to the poetic license you took with "backup qb", Roger Staubach, lol
Yes, I already conceded that "usually" a team is screwed if their starter goes down. But not always. Not at all. Having a backup QB take a team all the way to a Super Bowl win is not "rare" at all. (Nine wins out of 55!) It sure as heck is nowhere near "lottery ticket" rare.

And yeah, Roger Staubach most definitely belongs on the "backup QB to win a SB" list. In 1971, Craig Morton was "the guy" in Dallas all the way through September and October. Staubach didn't become the starter until November, and the rest is history.
 

dieterbrock

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And yeah, Roger Staubach most definitely belongs on the "backup QB to win a SB" list. In 1971, Craig Morton was "the guy" in Dallas all the way through September and October. Staubach didn't become the starter until November, and the rest is history.
History? Revisionist History maybe.... Morton and Staubach had been alternating as starters prior to that, starts and even alternating series. IE the original QB controversy. Whatevs... Lets just put Staubach and Wolford in the same sentence and see how that rolls off the tongue...
Its the reality of the salary cap football era, there's no point in paying a backup QB, unless you arent sold on your starter. Rodgers goes down, so does Green Bay. If Wolford can run the offense competently enough in practice so the backup WR & TE can run their routes, then thats all we need.
 

XXXIVwin

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History? Revisionist History maybe.... Morton and Staubach had been alternating as starters prior to that, starts and even alternating series. IE the original QB controversy. Whatevs... Lets just put Staubach and Wolford in the same sentence and see how that rolls off the tongue...
Its the reality of the salary cap football era, there's no point in paying a backup QB, unless you arent sold on your starter. Rodgers goes down, so does Green Bay. If Wolford can run the offense competently enough in practice so the backup WR & TE can run their routes, then thats all we need.
As -X- correctly pointed out, I'm pretty much incapable of letting the other guy get the last word. So All I gotta say is I'm rubber and you're glue...:zany:

and backups win Super Bowls
 

Merlin

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I think it's too early to say Wolford is incapable of learning from his mistakes.
It's not even about that really. It's about the fact he had a winning lottery ticket and he dropped it in the street outside the liquor store.

I took a lot of shit for saying the guy could play at this level and I still think he can. But the problem is guys like him don't get ten shots like the talented guys. They get one shot if they're lucky. Some of these guys never get a playoff start opportunity and they've been backups for years. It was a windfall for the guy and he screwed the pooch.

But back to the OP's question... The one who decides whether you're good enough is the coach. Not the GMs, fans, or media. And the coach started him for a playoff game so yeah asking if he's a backup has already been answered by the coach.
 
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Allen2McVay

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Morton and Staubach had been alternating as starters prior to that, starts and even alternating series. IE the original QB controversy.
I think ... and I am getting old ... that at one point, Tom Landry was actually alternating Staubach and Morton on every other play.

Insane.
 

Merlin

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Landry knew how to get his QB's attention. :ROFLMAO:

Had McVay benched Goff earlier this season things may have worked out differently in the playoffs. Sometimes sitting on your ass on the bench wishing you were in the game can knock you down a peg or two and get you back to work.