The St. Louis Rams have a quarterback conundrum. Sam Bradford is out for the year and likely gone after the season.
Shaun Hill is a journeyman. Austin Davis is ineffective and Case Keenum is limited physically. Will they go after a signal-caller in free agency or draft one?
The 2015 free agent class of quarterbacks are weak. Prominent names include Michael Vick, Mark Sanchez, Ryan Mallett and Jake Locker (fifth-year option wasn’t picked up). Maybe Locker and Mallett can put in all together in a new environment, but teams have already seen their strengths and weaknesses.
Would teams be willing to take a flier on players like them? The other option would be for the Rams to start from scratch and draft a quarterback.
There are four well regarded prospects that could be coming out in 2015. They are Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Connor Cook and Brett Hundley.
Just below them would be Bryce Petty of Baylor. He could be in the discussion, but he needs to perform in a big game. The other four have proven that they have the talent and upside to be high draft picks. Both scenarios have their pros and cons, but one is more practical than the other.
Looking at both situations, the best course for the Rams would be to draft a quarterback. There is depth at the position, and the team will likely be picking high again. It is a golden opportunity to get a new signal-caller that would be under a rookie deal for at least four years. The cap savings would be significant.
Those savings could be used to address issues at the wide receiver position.
Whatever the team decide to do, there is one obvious conclusion. There will be a new starting quarterback for the St. Louis Rams in 2015.