Goff's ninth game? articles on Goff in OTAs & mini-camp & up to training camp

zn wrote:

I’m not sure what the writer says there is true.

Kromer runs nothing like the kind of OL scheme McVay knew from before.

Why would it be Kromer is forced to adapt than McVay. IMO it’s easier for a young coordinator to adapt to what his successful veteran OL coach has been doing for years than vice versa.

maybe he got his info mixed up when talking to coaches.

cuz i agree. it doesn’t make much sense. at least from what i know.

Will Jared Goff Have A Better Season Than Carson Wentz?

With a full year under his belt, can the former No. 1 overall pick outplay Wentz, the former No. 2 overall selection.

BRETT WHITEFIELD

https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-will-jared-goff-have-a-better-season-than-carson-wentz/

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller says that Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff will have a better year than Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz. Goff and Wentz were the first and second pick of the 2016 draft, respectively.
Goff’s struggles as a rookie are widely noted as he graded 33rd out of 34 eligible quarterbacks with an overall grade of 39.7. One area working against Goff was the amount of pressure he faced. Only two quarterbacks were under pressure more often and among quarterbacks with at least 200 drop backs, he was sacked at the highest rate.
Thanks to a very quick start, Wentz performed much better and as his 76.8 overall grade ranked him 21st among quarterbacks. His season highlights came during the first two weeks of the season when he earned the third highest grade for a quarterback in both weeks, 87.3 in Week 1 and 87.0 in Week 2.
While passing under pressure, Goff produced a better passer rating at 47.5 (31 out of 37). Carson Wentz ranked 35th with a passer rating of 32.8. Wentz threw nine interceptions while under pressure compared to Goff’s three.

NFC West Q&A: What are realistic expectations for Jared Goff in Year 2?

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/34143/nfc-west-qa-what-are-realistic-expectations-for-jared-goff-in-year-2

The Los Angeles Rams traded up last year to take quarterback Jared Goff No. 1 overall, but they weren’t expecting a superstar.

At least not yet.

They simply need him to take care of the football and be enough of a downfield threat that defenses aren’t stacking the box so aggressively to stop running back Todd Gurley.

It’s reasonable to expect improvement from Goff, but those expectations must be tempered. His numbers through seven games — 54.6 completion percentage, 5.3 yards per attempt, 22.9 Total QBR — were dreadful. And though a lot of the blame can be directed at an inadequate offensive line and an uninspiring group of receivers, Goff himself showed he has a long way to go. He needs to make better reads, be more accurate and have a better feel in the pocket.

The Rams have turned over their coaching staff, adding Sean McVay and a collection of coaches with a history of helping quarterbacks succeed. So, what are realistic expectations for Goff in Year 2?

Josh Weinfuss, Arizona Cardinals reporter: There’s nowhere to go but up, right? It’s silly not to expect Goff to make significant strides between Years 1 and 2, when most players have their biggest growth. Developing quarterbacks, especially rookies, is tough in this era of the collective bargaining agreement, when interaction with coaches is so limited. And it didn’t help Goff last year that he didn’t start until Week 11. In theory, starting him in Week 1 would’ve given him the chance to get fully baptized by the fire of the NFL. Or he should’ve sat his entire rookie season and learned that way, as Carson Palmer did in 2003. His growth may have been stunted by playing in only seven games. After a full offseason to work on his own game while learning an entirely new scheme — possibly one he can contribute to molding — more growth should be expected from him. I’m not projecting him to be a Pro Bowler in Year 2, but I think he’ll show more of why he was the No. 1 pick.

Nick Wagoner, San Francisco 49ers reporter: Well, for his sake, the first expectation should be that he can spend more time upright and scanning the field before throwing than he did as a rookie. The signing of tackle Andrew Whitworth should help in that regard, but the Rams still have major questions at three other spots on the line. The Rams also continued to add receiving options for Goff, which was something they lacked when they drafted him. There still isn’t a No. 1 wideout here, but a few reliable ones are better than none. The addition of McVay should be even better for Goff’s future. The quarterback had little chance to live up to his draft status under former coach Jeff Fisher and his antiquated offensive scheme, but McVay looks to be at the complete opposite end of that spectrum. That’s not to say he will turn Goff into a superstar. But if Goff is going to develop at all, McVay seems capable of pulling whatever the quarterback has out of him. I wouldn’t expect Goff to magically become a Pro Bowler in Year 2, but a step forward to something closer to league average or slightly below is reasonable.

Sheil Kapadia, Seattle Seahawks reporter: Periods of competency. That may sound harsh, but as mentioned, Goff’s rookie debut was terrible. He averaged 3.77 yards per dropback, which would have been the worst mark in the league had he qualified with enough starts. As a point of reference, among qualifying quarterbacks, Brock Osweiler ranked last and even he averaged 5.26 yards per dropback. No passing game in the NFL was less efficient than the Rams’. It’s completely fair to point out that Goff wasn’t given a ton of help from the coaching staff or his supporting cast, but at no time last season did he look the part of a No. 1 overall pick. There will be struggles and inconsistencies in 2017, but if Goff can show flashes of upside with a new coaching staff, that will at least give Rams fans hope for the future.

Jared Goff faced an unsustainable amount of pressure on third downs last year pic.twitter.com/yyTEhe5cLk

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) July 10, 2017

Jared Goff suffered from one of the highest drop rates in the NFL last year as his receivers dropped 16 on 128 catchable passes pic.twitter.com/09GPYfXKzl

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) July 8, 2017

‘Project Goff’ is underway at Rams headquarters

Vincent Bonsignore

link: http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/20170422/project-goff-is-underway-at-rams-headquarters

From the inner sanctum of his Fired Football Coaches Association office some 2,500 miles from Los Angeles, Jon Gruden scoured the key piece of evidence in the case of Rams rookie quarterback Jared Goff.

The game tape, football coaches maintain, always tells the truth.

And in Goff’s case, the images flickering from the big screen inside Gruden’s Tampa, Fla., based football think tank provided key clues to explain how Goff’s first NFL season deteriorated into a nightmare.

“That’s an offensive line that has struggled,” Gruden testified recently. “That’s a receiving corps that has struggled.”

Gruden could have added a flawed coaching staff short on both imagination and a proven track record of quarterback development, one that failed even the basic principals of providing support for a rookie quarterback. Like establishing a sound running game Goff could lean on – in spite of having reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Todd Gurley on the roster – or functional game plans, or a culture of discipline in which frustrating, drive-sabotaging penalties would finally be eradicated.

And while factually true, it would have been speculative considering the evidence at hand.

“I do think he went into a difficult situation,” Gruden summed up, politely.

The result being a rugged rookie season that left fans and pundits wondering if the Rams severely over-reached by relinquishing six draft picks to move to the top of last year’s draft to select the former Cal star.

But from Gruden’s vantage point, most of the dynamics involved were out of Goff’s control.

The Rams, it appears, agree.

And it has prompted them to devote almost every bit of energy and focus this offseason on improving the infrastructure around Goff and maximizing his chances of succeeding.

Their Thousand Oaks headquarters is now the home of Project Goff, with almost every decision they make – including the direction they take in this week’s draft – motivated by creating an environment that helps expedite the development and efficiency of a position around which their world revolves.

That includes building a coaching staff deeply rooted in quarterback development. And adding left tackle Andrew Whitworth, not only to help protect Goff but also to free up tight ends to be more active in the passing game and elevate Todd Gurley in the running game. And signing former USC wide receiver Robert Woods, a precise, dependable route-runner with sure hands who Goff can trust as a go-to target.

All of it is designed to create a better environment in which Goff can excel.

“Everything that we do starts with the quarterback in mind,” new coach Sean McVay said.

That doesn’t mean their draft board won’t dictate they go defense when their first pick arrives early in the second round.

But the Rams believe a pool of talent most analysts agree is the deepest in years will augment their Goff objectives.

“From the beginning, when we had our initial meetings in December, you’re starting to go, ‘Wow, there’s certain positions (of need) where there will still be quality on the board,” Rams general manger Les Snead said.

It’s an edict that began with the firing of long-time coach Jeff Fisher who, for all the laurels he rested on, could never figure out how to field a productive offense. And when presented with the responsibility of developing Goff, he woefully underestimated the importance of experienced coaching by surrounding the rookie with first-year offensive coordinator Rob Boras – a former tight ends coach – and a quarterbacks coach in Chris Weinke with exactly one year experience.

It was a confusing approach.

On one hand Fisher believed the Rams were a high-caliber quarterback away from being a playoff contender.

On the other, he completely neglected the support system needed to assist the very asset he considered the missing piece.

It was a recipe for disaster.

Goff struggled with the learning curve going from Cal’s spread offense offense to the NFL. The talent around him was either incapable or not yet ready to contribute at a sufficient level. And the inexperienced offensive staff was helpless to provide alternative answers.

The miscalculations eventually cost Fisher his job.

It also underscored the importance of finding a new football leader with a proven offensive track record who could lay out a plan how to develop Goff and the infrastructure around him.

The Rams quickly landed on McVay, who represents a complete reversal not only from Fisher, but the string of three straight defensive-minded head coaches covering the last eight seasons.

None of whom could field functional offenses, let alone figure out a long-range answer at quarterback.

“What you’re looking at right now, with the first offensive head coach since (Scott) Linnehan, is someone who is going to put a priority on quarterback and how you develop the position by putting the right pieces around him in order for it to function at its highest level,” said Kevin Demoff, the Rams’ vice president of football operations.

Groomed under Gruden and his brother – Washington coach Jay Gruden – and former Washington coach Mike Shanahan, McVay, 31, is largely responsible for Kirk Cousins’ assent from a fourth-round draft pick to a playoff-caliber quarterback.

And while Washington didn’t have All-Pro caliber players across the board during his three years as the offensive coordinator, they were among the most productive in the NFL.

McVay’s upbringing and the success he helped create in Washington – coupled with his dynamic personality – helped sell Demoff and the Rams on him.

But more than anything, it was the detailed plan he articulated on how to develop Goff and the infrastructure around him – be it internally or through free agent and draft acquisitions – that convinced the Rams that McVay was their guy.

“Did we hire Sean specifically for Jared? No. We hired Sean because we think he’s going to be a great head coach,” Demoff said. “But, we also recognize Jared is a significant asset for the franchise and we needed someone who could maximize him.”

The coaching staff McVay built backs up that conviction. He’s surrounded himself – and Goff – with assistants deeply rooted in quarterback development and coordinating offenses.

Combined, offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, quarterbacks coach Greg Olson and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer bring more than two decades of experience building quarterbacks and offenses.

LeFleur spent the last two years coaching Matt Ryan with the Atlanta Falcons, and was Washington’s quarterback coach under Mike Shanahan from 2010-13. Olson helped transition Raiders quarterback Derek Carr from a spread offense in college to NFL stardom in Oakland.

That’s an incredible amount of experience and resources Goff can lean on.

“I think the truth of the matter is Sean’s entire world runs through the quarterback,” Demoff said. “Everything that’s been done, in Sean’s mind, is to give the quarterback the best chance to win.”

That was the benefit McVay gained being groomed under coaching mentors whose quarterback philosophies all trace back to former 49ers coach Bill Walsh.

“(Quarterback) is the most difficult position in all of sports, it’s the most important one for the football team,” McVay said. “So everything that we do starts with the quarterback in mind. And our job is to make the most difficult position as easy as we can.”

Of equal importance is improving the talent around Goff, which was painfully obvious after watching the Rams go winless in his seven starts to end the season.

Some of the blame goes to Goff, who struggled making the transition from a spread offense to a conventional NFL scheme.

But playing behind an offensive line that ranked among the worst in the NFL and with wide receivers that struck fear in no one, it was also impossible to get any sort of read on Goff given the amount of time he devoted to simply surviving from one play to the next.

The Rams hope McVay can help get Gurley and receiver Tavon Austin on track, but they aggressively went outside the organization through free agency intent on creating a safer, more functional environment around Goff.

Whitworth, a two-time All Pro, was brought in to protect Goff’s blind side, serve as a mentor to an extremely young offensive unit and anchor a line that, for all its bad play last season, still has potential.

“You really look at what we’re trying to do, and Andrew’s going to be a big part of running the football more efficiently as well,” McVay said. “We have to get Todd going, he’s a very important part of what we’re trying to do.”

Woods, while not the No. 1 wide receiver the Rams desperately need, is a precise route-runner with dependable hands and a willing blocker. Simply by being in the right place at the right time and consistently catching the ball, he can be a valuable addition.

Goff was a keen observer to the Rams’ offseason moves.

“Anytime they make any sort of investment on the offensive side of the ball, especially, it’s always helpful,” he said. “I think that all of the additions we made offensively and defensively were all great.”

Supporting cast for Goff

The Rams have retooled at numerous positions in an effort to facilitate the development of second-year quarterback Jared Goff. Here are the new faces:

• Coach Sean McVay: The grandson of John McVay, the architect of the great Bill Walsh 49ers teams, McVay was mentored under Jon Gruden, Jay Gruden and Mike Shanahan’s philosophy of creating the best possible environment for a quarterback to succeed.

• Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur: Worked two years as the quarterbacks coach for Matt Ryan in Atlanta, and previously worked with Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins in Washington.

• Quarterbacks coach Greg Olson: A former NFL offensive coordinator, Olson helped transition Derek Carr from a spread offense quarterback in college to NFL stardom.

• Offensive line coach Aaron Kromer: A former offensive coordinator. Kromer was the offensive line coach of the Buffalo Bills the last two seasons. Under Kromer. the Bills ledt the NFL with 5.6 yards per rushing last year.

• Left tackle Andrew Whitworth: Signed as a free agent, the two-time Pro Bowl left tackle is a huge upgrade from Greg Robinson last year and should benefit Goff in pass protection and by helping running back Todd Gurley get on track.

• Wide receiver Robert Woods: Another free-agent signing, the former USC star isn’t a burner and won’t take the top off a defense. But he’s got dependable hands, is a precise route-runner and an able blocker. At 24, he still has upside.

• Wide receiver Robert Woods: Another free-agent signing, the former USC star isn’t a burner and won’t take the top off a defense. But he’s got dependable hands, is a precise route-runner and an able blocker. At 24, he still has upside.

Even at 25, Woods is still young.

@JaredGoff16 is hitting the gym hard. He's already gained 10+ pounds this offseason. 🚀💪 #Rams #WeNotMe #LARams pic.twitter.com/7Aj8ZH09hq

— LA Rams Podcast (@RamsPodcast) July 23, 2017

Didn't want to embarrass Todd so I barely flexed https://t.co/uXwEpPTx0F

— Jared Goff (@JaredGoff16) July 23, 2017

from 2017 fantasy football projections: QBs

Michael Fabiano

http://www.nfl.com/fantasyfootball/story/0ap3000000821461/article/fabianos-2017-fantasy-football-projections-qbs

The Rams will have a new look on offense, as the team signed 31-year-old Sean McVay to be their new head coach. While Matt LaFleur will take over as the offensive coordinator, it’s McVay who will serve as the play caller and be given the task of developing Jared Goff into an NFL quarterback. In his three years as the coordinator in Washington, McVay helped Kirk Cousins finish in the top 10 in fantasy points at the position twice (2015, 2016). … While McVay, LaFleur and quarterbacks coach Greg Olson have good track records as talent developers, Goff will be hard pressed to make a real fantasy impact in an offense that will need to run through Todd Gurley to find success.

Goff becoming a bust could set this franchise back another half-decade. Goff figuring it out can help make the Rams a sustainable winner quickly.

See I don’t buy this. First, I don’t expect Goff to bust, but for argument’s sake let’s say he did. That would put the Rams in the position to try again at qb. That would mean picking one in a year that is stronger at qb than 2017 was, plus also maybe thinking about free agents in a year that could possibly include Cousins, Stafford, Brees and Garoppolo.

But would that mean they are set back? If they had to move on from Goff?

Well the RGIII trade didn’t set Washington back a half decade. They reached the playoffs in 2015.

although mcvay was never a qb coach. but he was offensive coordinator and worked with cousins i’m sure.

yeah. that’s 25 years of oc/qb coach experience (excluding what kromer brings) compared to… do i have this right? two years of oc/qb coach experience the previous year?

yikes.