Rams & qbs in free agency (from RG3 to possibly Fitzpatrick)

Rams have discussed bringing Peyton Manning to L.A. in 2016

Adam Schefter
ESPN Senior Writer

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14703972/los-angeles-rams-discuss-peyton-manning-option-2016

The Rams have had internal discussions about bringing Peyton Manning to Los Angeles should he want to play another season, per a league source.

Manning still is under contract to the Broncos for another year, but most around the league do not expect him to return to Denver next season, if he returns at all.

Manning still must decide whether he wants to play again, and the Rams still are formulating their quarterback plans. But they are monitoring the Manning situation, per a source, which is a sign that the Broncos quarterback could have options next season.

It also sets up the possibility — even if it is remote — that Manning could finish his career in Southern California just as former Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas did with the San Diego Chargers in 1973 and former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath did with Los Angeles Rams in 1977.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher said at his season-ending news conference that Case Keenum is the team’s starter entering the offseason and Nick Foles and Sean Mannion will be around to compete. The Rams traded for Foles last offseason and signed him to an extension but the former Philadelphia Eagles starter lost the starting job to Keenum during the season.

Super Bowl 50 will be Manning’s fourth title game in 18 seasons. Given that he has come back from spinal fusion surgery in 2011 to play four seasons for the Broncos, along with the injuries that have dotted his past three seasons, including the left foot injury that forced him to miss seven games this season, there have been signs for weeks that Sunday’s game might be Manning’s last.

“I’ve tried to stay in the moment, tried not to look back,” Manning said Monday in the opening minutes of his session at the Super Bowl 50 media night. “Just tried to stay in the moment.”

Peyton Manning to Rams doesn’t make much sense for either side

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/26544/peyton-manning-to-rams-doesnt-make-much-sense-for-either-side

EARTH CITY, Mo. — If Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning doesn’t want Sunday’s Super Bowl to be his last rodeo, perhaps a move to Rodeo Drive could be his final act.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that the Rams have had internal discussions about bringing Manning to Los Angeles in 2016. Because Manning is under contract with the Broncos and obviously still has a game to play, the Rams can’t and won’t publicly comment on any potential interest.

Before we dive too far into this topic, it must be noted that the Rams are discussing any and all potential quarterbacks who could make them better. It’d be silly and neglectful if they weren’t, after they finished last in the league in most major passing categories in 2015. So let’s keep in mind that Manning is far from the only name they’re talking about among quarterbacks and, really, every position.

As for why they’d be discussing Manning, who will turn 40 in March, there’s no doubt he would give the Rams plenty of sizzle as they move back to Los Angeles. He has the star power to sell plenty of tickets and jerseys, and he has a long-standing relationship with coach Jeff Fisher. He’d also be an excellent tutor for any quarterback apprentices the Rams would have to back him up.

But that’s about where the upside would end. Such a move just doesn’t make a lot of sense.

The Rams currently have quarterbacks Case Keenum, Nick Foles and Sean Mannion occupying the three spots on the depth chart. For the vast majority of his career, Manning would have been the ultimate upgrade to a group like that. But that Manning isn’t this Manning.

In 2015 he played 10 regular-season games and threw for 2,249 yards, nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions for a passer rating of 67.9. Foles started 11 games and threw for 2,052 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a passer rating of 69.0. Keep in mind those numbers got Foles benched in favor of Keenum, who performed the best of all three with a passer rating of 87.7 in six starts.

Even if you subscribe to the idea that Manning would be a marketing boon for the Rams, it’s not as though they are having trouble moving tickets. They’ve already boasted about the 50,000 or so deposits they’ve taken for season tickets (with each deposit allowed to buy up to eight tickets). What the Rams need at quarterback is a short- and long-term solution that can help them win and thus sustain those ticket sales for years to come.

That solution would ideally come in the form of one person, but it’s hard to see who could be added this offseason to fulfill that need.

This is also a two-way street. Even if whatever internal conversations the Rams had turned serious, there’s not many good reasons for Manning to want to sign with them.

Manning has a great chance to ride into the sunset on a Super Bowl appearance or potentially a Super Bowl win. If he decided to hang on for another go, he’d be going to a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2004 or had a winning record since 2003. He has proved capable of riding a ship led by a dominant defense to this year’s Super Bowl — but he didn’t have to do it in the NFC West. And, for as talented as the Rams are on defense, they aren’t the Broncos, who had the league’s top-ranked defense in 2015.

Beyond that, the Rams have a young offensive line that still has plenty of developmental work to do and a receiver corps with no top options like Demaryius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders. Manning also isn’t mobile, something Fisher said he wanted when he switched from Foles to Keenum. On Wednesday, Manning told reporters at the Super Bowl that he’s going to need hip replacement surgery at some point. He’s also dealt with serious neck and foot issues in recent years. That doesn’t sound like a guy who needs to be dodging defenders for the Rams.

Through the years, we’ve seen plenty of all-time greats keep playing even after their primes. It’s a right to which they’re entitled. Heck, the Rams have even played a prominent role in such a scenario, employing Joe Namath for a final season in 1977.

But if Manning wants to keep playing, it’d be best for both he and the Rams if he does it somewhere else.

No RG3.

He;s a health issue AND a head case.

InvaderRam wrote:

and i have read the articles by chris cooley ripping his game apart.

That article was so damming, it doesn’t amount to anything as simple as switching systems. RG3 did not know how to do basic stuff in the offense, and that goes way beyond switching systems. I have never seen a coach rip into a qb like Gruden did with RG3, and that was with the owner making it clear RG3 was a favorite of his…Gruden defied him.

I don’t see how you could read that article and see anything other than a qb struggling to even grasp the basics.

The guy has huge problems, and it doesn’t help that his own teammates don’t think highly of him.

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ROBERT GRIFFIN III TEAMMATES APPLAUD BENCHING ‘Now We Can Start Winning’

http://www.tmz.com/2015/08/31/robert-griffin-iii-teammates-blast-qb-now-we-can-start-winning/#ixzz40LG6LyVX

Several members of the Washington Redskins tell TMZ Sports … they’re PUMPED the team is benching RG3 … with one player saying, “Now we can start winning games.”
We spoke with a handful of Redskins players — all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity — and they were all on the same page … they’ve been wanting the move for a while.
One player told us, “We’re relieved. This is good for the team.”
Another player was more blunt … saying, “We have a better chance of winning with [Kirk Cousins] than Robert Griffin. Sometimes teams need a change and we obviously did.”
Even the defense is excited — with one starter saying, “The team is excited with the change. We are all looking forward to Kirk leading us this season.”

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Report: Several Washington offensive linemen dislike RG3

Michael David Smith

Report: Several Washington offensive linemen dislike RG3

As Robert Griffin III morphed from the rookie of the year in 2012 to a huge disappointment in 2013, questions started to be raised about whether his offensive line disliked him. At one point late in the 2013 season, it was observed that Washington’s offensive linemen hardly ever helped Griffin up after sacks, and reports out of the team’s locker room began to indicate that players were tired of Griffin’s refusal to take the blame when things went wrong.

Two years later, Griffin still doesn’t seem to be winning any friends in the locker room.

At today’s press conference, Griffin was asked about problems with the team’s pass protection. Although Griffin said he wouldn’t point fingers at his offensive linemen, he also didn’t put the blame on himself, even though many observers have pointed to Griffin’s lack of pocket awareness as a bigger problem than Washington’s offensive line.

According to Jason Reid of ESPN, Griffin sidestepping his own responsibility for making the line look worse than it played is exactly the kind of thing that causes him problems in the locker room. Reid wrote on Twitter after Griffin’s press conference that coaches say “several” offensive linemen dislike Griffin.

There seem to be two problems facing Griffin. The more important one is that he simply hasn’t played very well since suffering a severe knee injury at the end of his rookie season. But another problem is that he hasn’t shown that he has the leadership qualities that a quarterback needs. And until he starts playing better, it’s hard to see how he’ll be able to rally his teammates around him.

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