Keenum remains starter for now (there's controversy around this)

an earlier version[/sixe]

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Les Snead says Rams have to look at every avenue for a QB

Darin Gantt on January 29, 2016

Les Snead says Rams have to look at every avenue for a QB

Rams General Manager Les Snead has already declared an open competition between quarterbacks Case Keenum and Nick Foles for next season.

And while that might underwhelm fans in Los Angeles who haven’t seen a pro quarterback in 21 years, Snead’s also doing his best to keep fans from thinking a first-round savior is on the way.

Snead told Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times that he can’t rule out using a high pick on a quarterback, but was quick to point out some mid-rounders who have had success lately.

“You definitely have to prepare that you might do it,” Snead said. “Sometimes with QBs we’ve seen some very successful ones go in the second round, and the third round seems to be hot of late. I’m thinking of Russell Wilson. I’m thinking of Kirk Cousins [fourth round].

“So the thing about the draft is, because it’s become a nice entertainment segment, . . . there’s so much attention on the first round, especially at the QB position, that sometimes the third-round QB, it’s ‘Oh, he’s a third-round QB.’ But the long story short on all of that is we’ll definitely scout QBs, and we’ll definitely look at the trade market and free-agent market.”

As to the in-house options, Snead said that restricted free agent Keenum wasn’t leaving town: “We’re not going to let him go somewhere else.”

He also scuttled the notion that Foles was too expensive to hang onto as a backup, saying: “The answer from a salary standpoint is, yes, he’s easily keepable.”

But it’s clear that the Rams need an answer there, and they can’t rule out any possible avenue for finding one.

NERam wrote:

By adding to it, can you now be penalized 15 yards for piling on

My penalty was to find a relevant Wagoner article and post it in this thread. That’s not that easy because it’s not like Wagoner writes something on EVERY Rams topic that comes up.

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Rams’ quarterback situation in holding pattern

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/27818/rams-message-on-quarterbacks-hasnt-changed

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Let’s take a moment to clear up some confusion coming out of the owners meetings on Monday.

Before I even landed here Monday afternoon, Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead appeared on NFL Network to talk about all things Rams. At the top of that list: the ongoing game of “will they or won’t they?” when it comes to the starting quarterback position and Case Keenum.

Snead didn’t offer much new in that regard, echoing the comments coach Jeff Fisher made on Jan. 4 in which he said that Keenum is the team’s starter going into the offseason program but that there will be competition in place.

But, as social media often does, Snead’s answer was lacking some key words. Where it’s true that Snead said “Keenum will be the starter on opening day,” he actually said Keenum would be the starter on the opening day of organized team activities.

The Rams are set to begin the offseason program on April 18 and are tentatively scheduled to begin OTAs at the end of May. That’s a long way from the start of the regular season.

I ran into Snead early Monday evening and asked him to clarify something that he probably shouldn’t have had to.

“What I said this morning was when we come back for OTAs, Case Keenum will take the reps with the No. 1 offense,” Snead said. “He earned that. But you know what, there’s OTAs, there’s a preseason and there will be a lot of competition from point A to point Z until we start the season and go from there. But when we come for OTAs, Case will line up with the ones, and I think I was pretty strict in saying why he would do that because he came in and he helped us win three of four and was close to going 4-0.”

So let’s reset this once more, with feeling: The Rams know they need help at quarterback. They also don’t seem to believe that the signal callers on the free-agent market are obvious upgrades over what they have. They also know that draft isn’t likely to yield an instant starter, especially since they’re picking at No. 15 overall.

That doesn’t mean the Rams won’t bring in another quarterback. In fact, there’s a good chance they’ll find one in the draft. So yes, it’s fair to say that Keenum is a good bet to be the starting quarterback not only when the Rams open OTAs but also when they open the season.

But for now, they’re keeping their options open.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by zn.