qb coach Chris Weinke: Goff's skill set is 'off the charts'

Jared Goff’s skill set is ‘off the charts,’ Rams quarterback coach Chris Weinke says

By JACK WANG / STAFF WRITER

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/weinke-735859-goff-rams.html

THOUSAND OAKS – Two months ago, Chris Weinke sat in a room with the rest of the Rams’ coaching staff. The second-year quarterbacks coach expounded on the virtues of rookie Jared Goff, pointing out his “great strides” and capacity to learn.

In a scene captured by HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” Coach Jeff Fisher then asked if Goff would be ready to back up Case Keenum for the regular-season opener. The camera cut back to Weinke, who sat in silence.

The Rams (4-5) ended up playing nine games without putting their No. 1 overall pick on the field – a wait that finally will end after the team pronounced him their starter earlier this week, in time for Sunday’s home tilt against the Dolphins. This time, Weinke sounded even more effusive.

“His skill set is off the charts,” he said of Goff. “I think it’s going to be fun to watch him grow and develop. Here’s his first opportunity.”

Weinke warned that bumps lie ahead for Goff, just as they would for any quarterback regardless of age. The NFL season rarely offers players a linear rise, and being thrown into the fire in Week 11 usually doesn’t make for a smoother path.

But even if Goff isn’t an immediate star, he at least brings more raw physical tools to the position than Keenum – who went undrafted in 2012 despite setting numerous NCAA records for Houston in 2012, and is perhaps better-suited to be a very good No. 2 quarterback.

That ability could allow the Rams to add a few wrinkles in their offense, though coaches have insisted they won’t make dramatic changes.

“In terms of our approach as a staff, putting a game plan together, we’re obviously smart enough to say, ‘Hey listen, we know what this kid does well. And we’re going to lean on those things.’” Weinke said. “But we’re not going to scale back for him. We don’t need to.”

Earlier this month, Weinke told the website The MMQB that one of the most important parts of Goff’s development was going from a three-step drop in the shotgun to a five-step drop from under center. The 22-year-old not only had to nail down those fundamentals, but also learn them to the point where they became second nature.

“You want to get to the point where I can just physically react,” Weinke said, adding that Goff could still use live game reps to finish that learning process. “What happens is, when you’re thinking and processing information, your body slows down physically. That was the case early on with him. I don’t necessarily feel that way anymore. I feel like he’s ready to go.”

Offensive guard Rodger Saffold started seeing Goff become more comfortable under center in the second or third week of the season. Although the veteran lineman sounded ambivalent about the quarterback switch this week, he also expressed excitement about the possibilities.

“He’s got a heck of a cadence,” Saffold said. “You almost jump listening to him. He can really draw a guy offsides. I think that’s a hell of a weapon to use.”

Will it pay off this weekend as the Rams try to climb back to .500?

“There’s no substitute for experience,” Weinke said. “The only way we know what this kid can do, is to watch him play. I’m excited to do that.”