The Titans and Rams were once competing in Super Bowl 34, now they’re making one of the biggest draft blockbusters in the history of sports. The Rams are now in Los Angeles and needed to acquire a QB to set the table of a new era in Los Angeles.
As for the Titans, this was a deal where they can build a core, and they land four picks in the top 45…
I was pleasantly surprised at this trade for three reasons.
- After all the debacles in trading up for a QB by many teams over the years, it amazes me that teams will go above and beyond for a QB that hasn’t proven a thing in the NFL. Mark Sanchez, RGIII, Johnny Manziel, J.P. Losman, Josh Freeman, Blaine Gabbert, Tim Tebow, and Kyle Boller. Those are some really mediocre and bad names, and far from any kind of “Franchise QB.” The Rams will go either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz and they’ll be measure against these guys to fight the trend of QBs not succeeding if the team that acquires the pick via trade.
- Just a thought, I believe that the Rams can actually benefit from trading up for a QB when it’s their most dire need currently. Wentz or Goff could take them out of the basement of the NFC and NFC West; a division thats been ultra-competitive in the last five years.
- The Titans still believe in Taylor Lewan, a former top-10 pick at LT, this also changes Dallas’s pick at #4 completely. They may have the choice of Jalen Ramsey or Myles Jack. I think that’s an easy selection for a team that LOVES Jalen Ramsey’s skill set.
Now we must see what the Face of LA will look like…
What if the #1 pick is Carson Wentz from North Dakota State?
In one of my mock drafts during the regular season, I projected Carson Wentz with the 15th overall pick; ironically where they’d end up. I thought Wentz was the ideal QB for the Rams offense built around Tavon Austin’s versatility and Todd Gurley’s rushing attack.
According to reports from ProFootballTalk (NBC Sports), Wentz is their top target with the newly acquired QB so this scenario is one that we can explore with an audience to judge.
Carson Wentz is very intelligent and had control of the offense, every line shift, audible, and pre-snap read was directly through Wentz. His wrist injury hampered his senior season a little bit, but in the FCS Championship Game, he was very precise for anyone, let alone a player a little rusty coming back from an injury.
In a sense I believe Wentz is the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck in 2012, this isn’t to say that Blake Bortles and others since are bad (not a fan of Mariota) but Wentz has ALOT of Carson Palmer in him, like A LOT.
The Rams would be wise to want Wentz to be the new face of the Los Angeles Rams, after watching the Dodgers get back to the playoffs recently and Kobe’s retirement, the city is already buzzing.
The Rams also don’t have a bigger need, Case Keenum is not an NFL starting QB, and Nick Foles was simply a low-risk move to begin with. Wentz might not even have to play from day one, like Palmer in Cincy, he may have the luxury to learn behind Keenum or Foles, but I highly doubt that occurs when you two 1s and two 2s at the very least to jump fourteen spots.
“The number one pick of the 2016 NFL Draft is Jared Goff”
I once had Jared Goff as my top QB in this draft for a short time between October and December. After the Senior Bowl it was very clear that Wentz was the one being anointed as the cream of this young crop of QBs.
Goff was a freshman starter at Cal when they stumbled to a 1-11 record but as time went on at Berkeley, it was clear that Goff was a special kind of QB, a guy who can be labeled as a pure passer. Matt Miller of BleacherReport has the Cal QB as his #1 QB.
So essentially the Rams would be drafting the California kid who can sling the ball anywhere he wants and he could be in Los Angeles?
Well, Goff hasn’t taken many snaps behind center, but like Andy Dalton when he was coming out of TCU, Goff has the arm strength and the accuracy to be effective in almost every offense. I grade him to be the 2nd best in the draft but a guy I can see going to a QB-needy squad.
Goff may also have the same luxury of sitting out a year, but he wouldn’t have to because at eighteen years of age, he started as a freshman at Cal and then progressed on the fly. I believe Goff, like Dalton can be effective right away.
The Difference Between the Two
There isn’t much separating them on terms of draft stock, but this may be because of each having their own unique skill set. Wentz is as I mentioned a pro-style field general, Goff is a spread-style pure passer.
Both have good use of mobility to escape the pocket and both have no accuracy problems that would limit them going forward.
So other than a possible system fit, there’s no much separating them. Personally for the Rams I think Wentz is the better fit and could be better for the team they have currently.
Goff would be better in Cleveland with Hue Jackson, I believe Goff could beat out RGIII and I also believe Goff has already proven that a losing environment won’t shake him up. Jackson needs Goff if they decide to keep the #2 overall pick. If they trade down I can understand why they would.