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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000653513/article/rams-topsecret-qb-tour-bred-blockbuster-trade-for-no-1-pick
Rams’ top-secret QB tour bred blockbuster trade for No. 1 pickBy Michael Silver
NFL Media columnist
Published: April 15, 2016 at 05:56 p.m.Jeff Fisher and Les Snead arrived in Berkeley on a cloudy February morning, and as soon as quarterback Jared Goff began his private workout at California Memorial Stadium — as if on cue — the rain came pouring down like the Andy Dufresne escape scene in “Shawshank Redemption.”
By the end of the former Cal star’s sublime throwing session, all had become clear for the two men deciding the immediate fate of the newly rechristened Los Angeles Rams. And it was that clarity of purpose which, two months later, would trigger the blockbuster trade that shook up the 2016 draft and brought some serious gridiron glitz to Tinseltown.
Having flown to Northern California straight from Fargo, North Dakota — where they’d watched the 2016 draft’s other top quarterbacking prospect, ex-North Dakota State passer Carson Wentz, perform impressively in a similar session — Fisher, the Rams’ veteran head coach, and Snead, the team’s fifth-year general manager, were completing the second and final stop of their under-the-radar, Find a Franchise Quarterback Tour.
They weren’t prepared for the inclement weather, but they weren’t complaining, either. After all, one of the few raps against Goff was his perceived inability to throw a wet ball, a stigma that began early in his freshman season in 2013, when he performed so miserably on a rainy afternoon at Oregon that he was pulled from the game in the first quarter.
Even as Fisher vainly attempted to shield the footballs under his light jacket before handing them to Goff, he understood the beauty of the moment: If throwing a slippery ball were still a legitimate weakness, Goff would surely be exposed.
Instead, as if channeling the artistry of dreadlocked Cal alum Adam Duritz, Goff summoned a performance so tremendous, he might as well have crooned, “I am the Rain King!”
Goff, according to one witness, flat out “ripped it” while throwing to former Cal teammates Trevor Davis and Maurice Harris. “The ball never hit the ground,” said another person who attended the session.
“It was a great opportunity to see him throw a wet ball,” Fisher recalled Thursday morning, a couple of hours after the announcement of a pricey trade with the Tennessee Titans that put the Rams on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick. “We were just going through the process, and he made all the throws, and he was outstanding.”
Whether the Rams use the No. 1 overall selection on Goff, as I believe they will, or call Wentz to the podium in Chicago on April 28, Fisher and Snead already have made one thing obvious: After methodically building a talented defense, a process fueled by the bounty they acquired in their own blockbuster pre-draft trade four years ago, and last year bolstering the running game by selecting star halfback Todd Gurley and a slew of offensive linemen, the Rams can no longer get by with mediocrity at the game’s pivotal position.
Speaking of which: With records of 7-8-1, 7-9, 6-10 and 7-9 during their four years in St. Louis, the newly relocated coach and GM understand that they’ll have to step up it up to stay employed in Southern California beyond this season.
So Fisher and Snead, in a strategy they employed as far back as their first season in St. Louis, hit the road and got an up-close-and-personal view of what was out there. And when they loved what they saw in Fargo and Berkeley, they set their sights on the top of the draft.
With the 15th overall selection, Fisher and Snead knew it wouldn’t be easy. Not since 1984 had a team (the Patriots, who came up from 16th to land receiver Irving Fryar) moved up so far to land the first pick. But the Rams had an important chip: an extra second-round pick in 2016, obtained in last year’s trade with the Eagles that sent oft-injured incumbent quarterback Sam Bradford to Philly for Nick Foles. And while Foles’ stint as the Rams’ starting quarterback had been short and inglorious — ultimately, he was supplanted by Case Keenum, who technically still resides atop the L.A. depth chart — that extra second-rounder turned out to be a godsend.
As fate would have it, the Rams’ ownership of that pick — and the Eagles’ lack thereof — may have allowed L.A. to outjockey the Eagles for the Titans’ top pick. The Eagles, according to sources, have a high degree of interest in both quarterbacks, particularly Goff, and were also engaged in talks to trade up in the draft.
Meanwhile the Browns, who hold the No. 2 overall selection, may lose out on the quarterback they covet most — and, in response, might try to trade down to a team interested in acquiring the passer the Rams pass over.
Again, this intriguing scenario is layered with the seeds of past developments: Last March, before trading Bradford to the Eagles, the Rams — according to a high-ranking team source — believed they had a deal in place to send him to Cleveland for a first-round pick, but the Browns backed out the following morning.
Throw in the fact that Fisher closed the deal for the first overall pick with the franchise that employed him as head coach for 17 seasons, and there have been a whole lot of dramatic arcs to this story. And make no mistake: He and Snead are intent on milking the drama for all its worth between now and draft night, with organizational sources sending out conflicting reports of which quarterback the Rams prefer to numerous reporters, a process likely to continue right up until the moment when the Rams are officially on the clock.
Regardless of the noise, Fisher and Snead will get their man — and their immediate futures will likely depend on the young quarterback’s aptitude. For what it’s worth, their bosses (Rams owner Stan Kroenke and COO Kevin Demoff) were absolutely on board with the trade. As one high-ranking Rams official put it in an internal conversation, “We can go with Case Keenum and [second-year backup] Sean Mannion, and if everything breaks right, we can probably be a wild-card team. But we’re not chasing wild cards. We want to go after championships.”
To get to that level, a young man will have to guide them — and something Fisher and Snead saw in Fargo and/or Berkeley two months ago convinced them that there’s at least one quarterback in this draft who can transform their team in a hurry.
“We’re not looking over our shoulders here,” Fisher told me Thursday. “We’re planning for the future, and we’re building this team, and this is the next step. Last year we drafted Todd Gurley, and we drafted [four] offensive linemen. This year, we know what we want, and we’re going after it.”
Rain or shine.
Follow Michael Silver on Twitter @MikeSilver.
Agamemnon‘Scout vs. Scout’: Should the Rams take Goff or Wentz?
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks go head-to-head and debate who the Los Angeles Rams should select with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. AgamemnonRoss & Andrew discuss the Rams trade to #1 plus a proposed Eagles/Browns trade for the #2 pick.
Agamemnon
This link is a podcast. It is an extended view of Wentz and Goff.
It goes with zn’s post below.
AgamemnonGreg Cosell’s draft preview: Carson Wentz’s valid Andrew Luck comp
By Greg Cosell
March 28, 2016 11:26 AM
Shutdown CornerLeading up to the NFL draft on April 28-30, NFL Films’ Greg Cosell will be sharing his views on many of the top prospects based on his extensive film study of those players.
Andrew Luck was considered a rare prospect, and as such, people are hesitant to compare other high-level prospects to Luck.
I believe Carson Wentz is a high-level prospect, my top quarterback in this draft class, and I think the comparison to Luck is valid.
What happens down the road in any prospect’s career is pure speculation, and how Wentz does in the NFL is a product of many variables. So I don’t know how Wentz’s NFL career will compare to what Luck has done or will continue to do. But I see many similarities between the two quarterbacks.
Like Luck, Wentz is smart. He was a 4.0 student at North Dakota State. Physically, the two are similar, and we’ll get to that in a bit. One thing that stood out to me about Wentz is his poise in critical moments. That reminds me of Luck as well.
Wentz, with his team trailing 28-24 against Northern Iowa last season, led a late drive and threw a game-winning touchdown in the final minute. He converted a couple key fourth downs and showed outstanding poise and composure. It was an excellent combination of patience and aggressiveness. (Move ahead to 11:24 of the video below to watch him lead the game-winning drive.)
———–video content at link.
Physically there’s a lot to like about Wentz too, and there are more reminders of Luck. Wentz is a very good athlete for a 6-foot-5, 237-pound quarterback (Wentz is actually a smoother-looking athlete than Luck because his body type is different: he is longer and leaner than Luck despite weighing 237 pounds). He has an awareness of how to play the position, like Luck. He has the ability to drive the ball when the throw demands it, as Luck does.
Wentz has very good arm strength. He is a tight, compact, easy thrower for a big quarterback. The ball comes out with velocity. Wentz can clearly drive the ball, which is a result of a strong core and lower body.
Wentz isn’t just a fastball thrower. He has showed the refinement to throw with touch and pace when demanded. He can make firm, touch seam throws that are part of NFL passing games. He showed an excellent feel for the different kinds of throws that are necessary for the situation.
There were other things I liked about Wentz when I watched the film: He had an excellent command of the offense, controlling the game at the line of scrimmage when needed with a lot of audibles and checks. He excelled in a structured passing game that asked him to make progression reads and difficult NFL-type throws. All of that will help in his transition to the pro game.
He also is a good runner. There were times when the NDSU offense looked like the Carolina Panthers offense with its multiple backfield actions and run game dimensions. Here’s a quarterback run behind the fullback that went for a touchdown:
———–video content at link.
If a team decides to use Wentz as a regular part of their running game, as the Panthers do with Cam Newton, he has the ability to excel in that role.
Wentz has many skills you like to see, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be an NFL success. Going back to the Luck example, even though the assumption was that Luck’s decision making wouldn’t be a problem in the NFL because of his high-level intelligence, he hasn’t been a consistently good decision maker in the pros — that’s a part of Luck’s game he must continue to work on. So it’s always tough to project any prospect, no matter the position. There’s a lot of variables involved in becoming a high-level NFL player, especially at quarterback.
I can only tell you what I’ve seen on tape from the prospects going into the draft. And what I’ve seen from Wentz is pretty good. He’s my No. 1 quarterback in this draft.
AgamemnonGreg Cosell’s draft preview: Jared Goff’s strengths and flaws
By Greg Cosell
March 30, 2016 2:10 PM
Shutdown CornerI see a lot of good traits in Cal quarterback Jared Goff. His size, throwing ability and pocket attributes are all first-round pick worthy.
I think Goff is a more natural and better overall thrower than Marcus Mariota. Overall I think he’s a better prospect than Mariota or Jameis Winston, who went with the first two picks of last year’s draft. But a few questions remain, and they need to be looked at hard by NFL teams.
The two biggest issues I have with Goff are questions about his ability to deal with the adversity of the game and dealing with pass rush pressure.
When I look at the Utah game, it’s not a good piece of tape for Goff. He threw five interceptions, but it’s more than just the number of interceptions. It was more worrisome how his tendency to play fast and hurried showed in that game and led to the turnovers. He didn’t react well in this game.
This hurried throw in the face of the pass rush when he had nobody open is a good example of how his poise and composure must be evaluated carefully:
———–video content at link.
Goff’s feet at times can be a little jumpy and frenetic. That’s not a good thing, and you wonder how that will play out against the better and faster pass rushers in the NFL.
Despite that, Goff clearly has traits you look for in an NFL quarterback: light feet, good balance, pocket awareness and movement, compact delivery, natural accuracy. A third-and-5 throw against Washington is a good example of what Goff does well, moving well in the pocket, then delivering a strong, accurate throw for a 20-yard gain (it’s at 7:42 of this video).
———–video content at link.
One thing that consistently stood out about Goff was his natural ability to make the right kind of throw when needed. He threw with touch when needed and velocity when needed. Goff is an easy, natural thrower – his arm strength would be comparable to Matt Ryan. He is an aggressive thrower, willing to turn it loose at the intermediate levels and with the ability to throw with pace and touch when the situation calls for it. He has the look of a natural pocket quarterback at times.
Here’s a throw where Goff showed excellent trajectory, touch and ball placement on a fade route that went for a 35-yard touchdown (it’s the first play on the Utah video above).
———–video content at link.
That’s a really good throw.
There’s a lot that goes into playing quarterback in the NFL, but I saw some things that lead me to believe Goff can handle the subtle nuances of the position.
One thing he does is move his feet with his eyes always looking downfield, which is a refined attribute. Even though Cal’s offense is a shotgun spread offense in the mold of Hal Mumme and Mike Leach, it uses NFL route concepts with vertical and intermediate throws. Goff didn’t play in a dink-and-dunk offense. He has good functional movement in the pocket and is willing to turn it loose, which I like to see.
There are a lot of things to like about Goff. There are a few concerns, which really showed up in the Utah game, that NFL teams will have to look hard at. I think Carson Wentz is a better NFL prospect than Goff, and Wentz is my top quarterback in this draft, but Goff has a lot to offer as well.
Agamemnon
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