Rams: (#13) 1st Round QB Ty Simpson SIGNED
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Especially after NEVER really having one. (Since Gabriel at least) Nice change for once.
Basically irrelevant anyway. If the Rams are "way up" in the 4th Quarter the "mop-up" Quarterback will be instructed to hand the ball off to Ronnie Rivers et al, (as Kyren and Corum will be sitting as well) and keep the clock running, lest the Rams be accused of "running up the score" on some team.
Likely Stetson since he'll be #2. Simpson as the 3 doesn't need to be gameday active as the #3 QB he'll be able to come in if the 2 ahead of him get hurt even if he isn't active, thanks to the shitters. That only changes if he takes over the #2 spot at some point.
Yes, Stetson IS the #2. Has he even GOTTEN a regular season snap yet? No reason to leapfrog him. Ty is wearing the "Red Shirt" this season, as he learns and absorbs and grows steadily, due to his superior dedication and work ethic.
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I liked the video Oldschool posted by JT O'Sullivan, worth watching. I agree with most of the things JT said.
1. Overall, I'd grade it as a mediocre performance by Simpson. I'm not overly worried, because it is part of the process. Each game is a chance to learn, get some tape of yourself to study. Still, there's nothing that jumps off the tape and says that Simpson is a special QB who is destined for greatness. He has some nice physical tools, but the details and consistency isn't there right now.
2. The best highlight, the TD pass where he rolls to the sideline the drops a dime to the WR, in a way it actually isn't that great a play. If QB had more composure, he could have just slid one step backwards then thrown the slant with anticipation and touch and it would have been a TD without having to do all that running and making a more difficult pass. Simpson has a hyper style of play and takes off running instead of hanging in the pocket. Sometimes, I'm okay with that, because Simpson runs fast and can make plays outside of the pocket, but other times I don't like it, because I think that learning to consistently win from inside the pocket is important in the NFL.
3. Simpson's pocket feel and small movements inside the pocket aren't there yet. He should have felt the LT getting pushed back (he could see it in his range of vision) and had time to take a small step to his right instead of stepping straight forward, which would have given him a better window and angle. Another time, he steps towards the RT and towards the pressure instead of taking a tiny step away from the pressure. Those small errors are why Simpson's height is a weakness. If he were 6'5'' tall, he could get away with this and throw the ball over the top of the defenders. Since he's slightly short, it becomes a problem if he's too close to the DL. I think his upper body mechanics don't stay relaxed in congestion, contributing to accuracy issues. JT O'Sullivan is also correct in pointing out that his stride was too big when he missed the pass high. I feel this is because Simpson doesn't have natural elite arm strength. Some QBs can generate velocity off-platform, which makes it easier to complete those short and intermediate throws without a full windup. If he just relocated half a step inside of the pocket on one of the plays, he could have more easily placed the pass on the correct shoulder of the WR to help with YAC. The one time he did move, I didn't think he needed to do that and it made him late with the pass.
4. The 3rd down pass where he throws it so quickly short of the markers bothered me. I don't understand QB's thought process. O'Sullivan is right, the route you'd prefer is the one towards the middle. The out to the SL has no chance of getting a 1st down.
5. Simpson's PA fakes aren't very good. Watch video of his actual handoffs from under C to the RB. The tilt of his shoulders, the way his arm is fully extended, his lower body posture, the angle of his helmet towards the RB, the angle of his drop from the C, we need to maintain that picture a split second longer. Right now, it is very easy for the LBs to read him. One play, QB is so shallow, there's no way he could have actually handed the ball to the RB, he wasn't going at the correct angle to intercept, so it was immediately obvious that it was a pass play. PA is a core part of McVay's system, so we need to be detail oriented to make those plays effective. His lower body is pushing in the opposite direction away from the RB too early, similar to a WR tipping off the CB as to the direction of the route break. Work on it next offseason. He's got other stuff to learn right now.
6. He's late with throws and reading the progression. It will come. He needs more reps. He looks like an inexperienced QB who is new to the system. The timing isn't there yet.
7. He needs to be careful throwing the stick route after reading the outside WR. I didn't feel that Simpson actually read the window before he threw the ball. Jared Goff had an INT exactly like that early in his career. NFL linebackers will watch your tape, notice what your eyes do in the progression and bait you into picks if you don't keep track of their positioning, posture and movement.
Bottom line, Ty Simpson doesn't look to me like he's ready to start in an important regular season or playoff game. If something happened to our other QBs and we were forced to use Simpson, I think the training wheels would have to remain on and we'd have to create a conservative gameplan to protect him from getting exposed. Let him watch Stafford play, see how the gameplan is developed then executed each week and he should learn a ton just by observing and asking questions.
1. Overall, I'd grade it as a mediocre performance by Simpson. I'm not overly worried, because it is part of the process. Each game is a chance to learn, get some tape of yourself to study. Still, there's nothing that jumps off the tape and says that Simpson is a special QB who is destined for greatness. He has some nice physical tools, but the details and consistency isn't there right now.
2. The best highlight, the TD pass where he rolls to the sideline the drops a dime to the WR, in a way it actually isn't that great a play. If QB had more composure, he could have just slid one step backwards then thrown the slant with anticipation and touch and it would have been a TD without having to do all that running and making a more difficult pass. Simpson has a hyper style of play and takes off running instead of hanging in the pocket. Sometimes, I'm okay with that, because Simpson runs fast and can make plays outside of the pocket, but other times I don't like it, because I think that learning to consistently win from inside the pocket is important in the NFL.
3. Simpson's pocket feel and small movements inside the pocket aren't there yet. He should have felt the LT getting pushed back (he could see it in his range of vision) and had time to take a small step to his right instead of stepping straight forward, which would have given him a better window and angle. Another time, he steps towards the RT and towards the pressure instead of taking a tiny step away from the pressure. Those small errors are why Simpson's height is a weakness. If he were 6'5'' tall, he could get away with this and throw the ball over the top of the defenders. Since he's slightly short, it becomes a problem if he's too close to the DL. I think his upper body mechanics don't stay relaxed in congestion, contributing to accuracy issues. JT O'Sullivan is also correct in pointing out that his stride was too big when he missed the pass high. I feel this is because Simpson doesn't have natural elite arm strength. Some QBs can generate velocity off-platform, which makes it easier to complete those short and intermediate throws without a full windup. If he just relocated half a step inside of the pocket on one of the plays, he could have more easily placed the pass on the correct shoulder of the WR to help with YAC. The one time he did move, I didn't think he needed to do that and it made him late with the pass.
4. The 3rd down pass where he throws it so quickly short of the markers bothered me. I don't understand QB's thought process. O'Sullivan is right, the route you'd prefer is the one towards the middle. The out to the SL has no chance of getting a 1st down.
5. Simpson's PA fakes aren't very good. Watch video of his actual handoffs from under C to the RB. The tilt of his shoulders, the way his arm is fully extended, his lower body posture, the angle of his helmet towards the RB, the angle of his drop from the C, we need to maintain that picture a split second longer. Right now, it is very easy for the LBs to read him. One play, QB is so shallow, there's no way he could have actually handed the ball to the RB, he wasn't going at the correct angle to intercept, so it was immediately obvious that it was a pass play. PA is a core part of McVay's system, so we need to be detail oriented to make those plays effective. His lower body is pushing in the opposite direction away from the RB too early, similar to a WR tipping off the CB as to the direction of the route break. Work on it next offseason. He's got other stuff to learn right now.
6. He's late with throws and reading the progression. It will come. He needs more reps. He looks like an inexperienced QB who is new to the system. The timing isn't there yet.
7. He needs to be careful throwing the stick route after reading the outside WR. I didn't feel that Simpson actually read the window before he threw the ball. Jared Goff had an INT exactly like that early in his career. NFL linebackers will watch your tape, notice what your eyes do in the progression and bait you into picks if you don't keep track of their positioning, posture and movement.
Bottom line, Ty Simpson doesn't look to me like he's ready to start in an important regular season or playoff game. If something happened to our other QBs and we were forced to use Simpson, I think the training wheels would have to remain on and we'd have to create a conservative gameplan to protect him from getting exposed. Let him watch Stafford play, see how the gameplan is developed then executed each week and he should learn a ton just by observing and asking questions.
Strong disagree here. That was a great play. Not many QBs can roll out like that to their left and drop a pinpoint pass in there where only the receiver can get it. Listen to some professional QB commentary on that play. It's been described as elite.
I agree that he's been late in reading the progression. As you stated, he needs more reps.
But the remarkable thing here is that he's clearly going through progressions on every snap with only eight college starts under his belt. Most young and inexperienced QBs don't even go through progressions at this stage - it's often one read and run. He's already demonstrating that his mental processing can be elite.
You're looking for physical tools to justify greatness, but are missing the mental element, which is where he'll excell.
WestCoastRam
Legend
He's a rookie. It's the pre-season. I'm not worried that there's plenty of room for improvement. That said, you're wrong about this play. He did not have the time to wait on the slant. And he would have had to throw over the DL who was coming free, as there wasn't a clear throwing lane. He made the right call exiting the pocket.
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Nice dissertation. The kid has played one year of college ball and parts of 3 preseason NFL games. Anyone who thinks the Rams drafted him to be QB2 this season is missing the point.
I don't think McVay is going to have all 3 activated on game day. So its whoever #2 is if Stafford needs a rest.
I'm fine with people disagreeing, it is only one play, but I this isn't how I see the play. It is common in the NFL for the defense to bring more pressure than the pass pro can handle or for a blocker to lose immediately, resulting in the pocket collapsing right away. Ty Simpson dealt with this often at Alabama, because his team let him down at times.
I don't think he had to vacate the pocket, because there is no safety in the middle. You don't have to jam the pass in flat. If pre-snap you see the coverage, put in front of the WR.
A QB must make a split-second decision and sometimes I want Simpson to use his legs and run. I just think that his time at Bama might have gotten him into bad habits, where he doesn't trust that he has enough time. Remember Kurt Warner vs the Titans in the Super Bowl on the long TD pass to Bruce? He knows he's about to get hit, but he stands in and throws anyway. Especially in a preseason game, you can be more conservative. On a different play when Simpson started to scramble, I was like "No, no, no, oh okay he slid, good." I didn't want him to try to run and get hit. If this had been a playoff game, this is the old Mike Martz philosophy, where you don't look at a blitz like a bad thing, you treat it as an opportunity to burn the defense. Stand tall in the pocket, make a small movement to buy a tiny fraction of space and time and deliver with courage. Simpson defaults to taking off running and in some situations I think it could get him injured, because he might get hit at the end of the run instead of getting the ball out of his hand quickly.
I said the exact same thing about Carson Wentz when the media called him a potential MVP and how he was going to be the best QB in the NFL. Wentz had a famous highlight play where he escaped a potential sack, ran around like a madman, then completed a pass over the middle. If you watch that play, all Wentz had to do was throw it to the TE early on, he didn't have to do all of that running around.
Ty Simpson has good speed and is very mobile. I just want him to use his legs more as option B instead of option A. In other words, I'd tell him to study Steve Young tape and try to emulate him.
This is true. I'm being nitpicky with the critique, because the overall tape is good for a rookie, but the reason for this is the expectation level is set high. Simpson was drafted to be our future franchise QB; he wasn't drafted just to be a solid backup. The execution must be very precise to become a great QB, so it isn't a fair standard, I'm basically comparing him to a Pro Bowl level QB level and saying he's not there right now.
By next year or even later this season, Simpson might make a huge leap forward. Who knows what the progression will look like? It is an interesting situation, because while I think he should sit right now and watch, at some point down the road he'd benefit from getting starts and playing instead of just being on the bench. But, if Stafford continues to play, how can we make that happen? In 2026, this isn't something to worry about, but if Stafford decides he wants to keep playing and doesn't want to retire, in future years this could become a problem that slows Simpson's development.
If Stafford continues to play I don't think it's a problem. Even if he plays for two more years I am sure Simpson will be able to get a couple of starts sprinkled in to keep him ready. I am hoping Stafford has another stellar season and host the Lombardi, but I don't think he would walk away from that, but maybe he would. Either way, I now like the plan in place with Simpson and I like the fact that he offers the ability to extend plays. He might not be able to make some of Stafford type of throws, but he will have to make up for that in other ways plus I believe Simpson from the neck up can handle what is put upon him in that capacity.
3 years to sit and watch isn't all that common except for the Packers model. One of them turned out to be top 5 career in most categories while the other looks like a keeper. To your point, #9 playing through 2028 is not a problem.
Past 2028? Sure, that would be a problem. But that would be going into his age 41 season. Obviously, I don't know the man or his inner thoughts, but to this observer, I don't believe he plays past age 40. Another Lombardi in the next 3 years would insure he won't. Two Lombardi's would practically guarantee it. His doesn't come off as a Brady or Rodgers-type ego. Another 3 years would put him top 3 in passing yards and completions, top 5 in TDs and probably #1 in 4QC (though the Rams D might limit those opportunities), not to mention guarantee a first ballot election into the HOF.
Simpson having 3 years to pick that brain, implement what is learned and perfect the physical fundamentals, might present a seamless transition at QB. FWIW, I don't think Simpson will ever be able to make all the throws Stafford makes. That's not a criticism, simply a fact. There aren't many QBs past or present who can.
Scrutinizing a rookie QB in his preason debut (after 1 year of college ball) seems a bit silly to me. He’s a talented project at this point.
I was looking for basic things, command of the huddle, quick drop, quick decisions and acurracy. All of which he did really well.
Simpson vs Bennet comparison
Bottom line: Simpson’s rookie preseason alone (78% comp, 8.4 avg TD rate, zero INTs) already outshines Bennett’s entire 3-year career preseason completion rate (62%) and turnover rate. It’s part of why Ty Simpson ranks third in PFF grades, third in yards, and tied for the lead in touchdowns among 2026 rookie quarterbacks, while Bennett finished last among the 22 offensive players graded in the opener
I was looking for basic things, command of the huddle, quick drop, quick decisions and acurracy. All of which he did really well.
Simpson vs Bennet comparison
Bottom line: Simpson’s rookie preseason alone (78% comp, 8.4 avg TD rate, zero INTs) already outshines Bennett’s entire 3-year career preseason completion rate (62%) and turnover rate. It’s part of why Ty Simpson ranks third in PFF grades, third in yards, and tied for the lead in touchdowns among 2026 rookie quarterbacks, while Bennett finished last among the 22 offensive players graded in the opener
Like you said, of course Simpson cant make many Stafford throws. As probably 95% of QB'S all-time cant. No discredit to Ty at all. Matthew Stafford is one of the all-time greats at the position.