- This topic has 2 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 3 months ago by
.
-
PFF: CASE KEENUM OVER JARED GOFF WISE SHORT-TERM MOVE FOR RAMS
Bringing Jared Goff along slowly smart move for Rams: Ian Rapoport tweetedyesterday that there is a real chance that quarterback Case Keenum enters the 2016 season as the starter for the Los Angeles Rams. While first-overall pick Jared Goff (Cal) is starting to get some first-team reps, the news isn’t entirely surprising if the Rams want to bring their franchise quarterback along slowly. Goff is going to be the Rams’ starting quarterback at some point, and it would be surprising if he didn’t take the reigns during the 2016 season at some point.
Keenum has graded negatively on 942 snaps over the course of his career so far, but did finish three of his five starts in 2015 with a positive grade, so the Rams are at least in fairly safe hands if the veteran indeed begins the season as the starter. He was solid throwing the ball downfield last season, completing six of the 17 passes traveling 20 yards or more downfield, but one area in which he struggled was passing under pressure. On plays where the opposing defense didn’t get pressure, Keenum completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 679 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions; when under pressure, that dropped to 41.7 percent, 149 yards, a single touchdown, and an interception. Under pressure, Keenum’s quarterback rating dropped from 102.2 to 51.7.
While it makes sense to start Keenum early in the year if Goff isn’t quite ready, Rams fans will be eager to see their quarterback of the future, especially after such an impressive 2015 college campaign. His final season at Cal saw him grade higher than both Jameis Winston’s final season at Florida State and Marcus Mariota’s final season at Oregon, and both of those players finished their NFL rookie seasons with an overall positive grade. That doesn’t mean Goff will definitely play well as a rookie, but it’s interesting to compare him to two players who handled themselves fairly well in their first pro seasons.
It’s easy to understand why the Rams want to ease Goff into the pro game gently, rather than throwing him in at the deep end, but he was the top player selected in this draft for a reason, and has the arm to make big-time throws in the NFL. He excelled throwing the ball downfield in his final season at Cal, completing 44 of the 100 passes he attempted over 20 yards or more downfield. It looks like Keenum will open the preseason as the starter, but it also wouldn’t come as a shock to see Goff outplay him and win the top job before the season begins.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
