Rams QB Jared Goff in Feb & March

rodgers isn’t the only one to say that. others have remarked about goff’s ability to throw the ball.

the only question is his work ethic, his durability, and his nerve. and also his vision.

can’t wait until next season.

What a great listen. THANKS!

Los Angeles Rams offseason analysis: Quarterbacks

RICH HAMMOND

link: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/02/09/los-angeles-rams-offseason-analysis-quarterbacks/

The NFL’s offseason just started, but for front-office executives, vacation already has ended.

This month, teams will start to cut veterans with bloated contracts, then convene in Indianapolis on Feb. 27 for the league’s scouting combine. The NFL’s free-agent signing period starts in mid-March.

So it’s already time to look ahead. The Rams and Chargers both have a core of players under contract for 2018 but face big decisions. As part of an ongoing series, here’s an in-depth glance at the Rams’ quarterback situation:

…

GRADING 2017

In danger of becoming a top-pick punchline on the level of fellow quarterback JaMarcus Russell, Goff rebounded in his sophomore season and perfectly executed Coach Sean McVay’s offense. Goff took tremendous strides in terms of pocket awareness and decisions with the ball, and impressively spread the ball around among a sizable group of receivers, tight ends and backs.

Goff also appeared more at ease in a leadership role. He’s not an extrovert, but Goff sees to be at ease with his teammates and, most importantly, has developed a tight relationship with McVay.

Goff also did a much better job of taking care of the ball, and had only one game in which he committed multiple turnovers. Goff also played his best down the stretch. In his final five regular-season games, Goff threw 12 touchdowns and three interceptions as the Rams went 4-1 and clinched the division.

Things didn’t end particularly well, as Goff completed only 53.3 percent of his passes (his third-lowest mark of the season) in the playoff loss to Atlanta. GRADE: B+

ANALYZING 2018

Goff made great strides in 2017 but he’s not a finished product. Goff’s biggest improvements can come against the blitz. He’s much better than he was as a rookie, but he still needs to speed up a bit against pressure, particularly when it comes from the outside.

Then there’s the Todd Gurley dilemma. So much of the Rams’ pass offense in 2017 involved getting the ball to Gurley, either on designed routes or check-down plays. In 2018, defenses will game-plan against that — just as Atlanta did in the playoff game — so Goff, McVay and the Rams must find a proper balance with Gurley in the pass game.

At some point, it would be good to see Goff direct a fourth-quarter, field-length drive to win a game, just to show he can do it. Thus far, his ability to lead the Rams from behind hasn’t been shown, but then again, they didn’t trail very often in 2017.

The Rams don’t need to do anything here, in terms of the roster. Mannion, a solid backup, is under contract for one more season. At one point, the Rams might have thought about trading Mannion for a draft pick, but things probably will remain static at this position.

The lowest interception rates while under pressure! pic.twitter.com/HaJFzmTbiW

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) February 19, 2018

Sean McVay plans to spend more time with Jared Goff

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/37871/sean-mcvay-plans-to-spend-more-time-with-jared-goff

LOS ANGELES — The void left behind by the departures of Matt LaFleur and Greg Olson will, in some way, be filled by Sean McVay.

LaFleur left the Rams to become the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator and Olson is now the Oakland Raiders’ offensive coordinator, which means that — for the fourth consecutive year, really — the voices surrounding Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff will be different. But the continuity will lie in McVay, who plans to spend a lot more time with Goff in his second year as the Rams’ head coach.

McVay described it as “being more present.”

“Not only the head coach-quarterback relationship, but the playcaller-quarterback relationship is paramount for us moving forward, to continue to improve on the rapport that we’ve already developed and the relationship that we have,” McVay said in a phone conversation from the scouting combine in Indianapolis earlier this week.

“It’s just being intentional about connecting with your guy. Year 2, when you don’t have the amount of things that you’re not necessarily accustomed to doing — I think just getting a more comfortable rhythm will allow you to kind of project being around a little bit more, but still also letting your coaches coach.”

Sean McVay helped Jared Goff take a big leap in their first year together but still sees more room for improvement. Photo by Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports
One of the central reasons McVay landed the job as the Rams’ coach when he was still only 30 years old stemmed from the growth Kirk Cousins made at quarterback under his watch. McVay was able to build a close relationship with Cousins while serving as the Washington Redskins’ offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2016. But his first year as the Rams’ head coach and offensive playcaller pulled him in an assortment of different directions that didn’t allow him to build a close enough bond with Goff.

This year will be different.

“That’s what I’m excited about,” McVay said, “with the offseason and not having to do a bunch of different things, but just kind of fine-tune going into Year 2.”

McVay no longer has to assemble an entire coaching staff, or map out an offseason program from scratch, or familiarize himself with a new organization, or grow accustomed to the rigors of a more demanding position. Everything should be a little bit easier now, which is why the plan was always to be more involved with Goff in his second year. It’s even more crucial with LaFleur (the Rams’ offensive coordinator last season) and Olson (their former quarterbacks coach) elsewhere.

But McVay expressed confidence in Shane Waldron and Zac Taylor, who will essentially replace them. The Rams will not have an official offensive coordinator this season; the duties will be split between offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who will be the running game coordinator, and Waldron, the tight ends coach who will double as the passing-game coordinator. Taylor, who worked closely with Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill from 2012 to 2015, will move from assistant wide receivers coach to quarterbacks coach.

“It’s a fine line because you want to be able to give Shane and Zac their time,” McVay said of being more hands-on with Goff. “You don’t want to be overbearing. The biggest thing is our ability to communicate and be on the same page. There will be more opportunities than maybe there were last year. I think that’s just with any experience as you get more comfortable with your rhythm.”

After adjusting to the pro game in his rookie season in 2016, Goff made tremendous strides when he transitioned from Jeff Fisher’s staff to McVay’s staff in 2017. The former No. 1 overall pick made significant improvements in completion percentage (54.6 to 62.1), yards per attempt (5.3 to 8.0), touchdown-to-interception ratio (0.7 to 4.0) and passer rating (63.6 to 100.5). Goff passed for 3,804 yards with 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 15 regular-season games, making the Pro Bowl after guiding a team that won 11 games and led the NFL in points.

“As good as he played,” McVay said, “and as many good things as we felt like we did offensively, there’s a lot we can improve on, and that’s what’s exciting about it.”

McVay’s increased involvement will play out gradually, in organized team activities, during training camp and throughout the regular season. He wants Goff to keep improving on “the fundamentals, the techniques, the ownership of our offense.”

“And really,” McVay said, “that’s a give-and-take, where it’s him being able to communicate, me understanding that. I don’t think you can ever have a great enough mastery just of your decision-making and what that entails.”

McVay also mentioned consistency with Goff’s throwing motion, something he will once again work on at the 3DQB academy during the window when NFL rules don’t allow coaches to communicate with their players.

Most important for Goff, however, is “understanding the intent of all the playcalls — what are the mechanics, what are the problems that could arise, and what are the ways that I can fix it based on my mastery of the offense?” McVay said. “It’s kind of a never-ending process on always focusing on improving.”[/quote]

Rams will continue to grow with Jared Goff

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/37804/rams-will-continue-to-grow-with-jared-goff

With free agency approaching (March 14), we’re analyzing the quarterback position on the Los Angeles Rams:

2018 cap hits of top returnees

Jared Goff: $7.62 million

Sean Mannion: $1.03 million

Brandon Allen: $630,000

Pending free agents: None.

2018 NFL Free Agency

Kirk Cousins. Jimmy Graham. Le’Veon Bell. This class could get wild. Here’s everything to know heading into free agency, which begins March 14.

• Latest news, players to watch »
• Barnwell: AFC moves | NFC moves »
•Insider Making biggest decisions for all 32 »
• Destination Cousins: Landing spots »
• 2018 QB carousel: Test for yourself »
Key stat: Goff’s passer rating increased from 63.6 as a rookie to 100.5 as a second-year player, accounting for the biggest jump among those who attempted at least 200 passes in each of the past two seasons. In his first year under coach Sean McVay, Goff also made big strides in completion percentage (54.6 to 62.1), yards per attempt (5.3 to 8.0), touchdown-to-interception ratio (0.7 to 4.0) and Total QBR (18.3 to 52.0). He was invited to the Pro Bowl and has started developing into the franchise quarterback the Rams were hoping to get when they selected him with the top pick of the 2016 draft.

Money matters: The best, most cost-effective way to succeed at quarterback is to draft and develop your own. That’s why the Rams moved up 14 spots to select Goff No. 1 overall in 2016. He will cost about $16.5 million toward the cap the next two years, then can play under his fifth-year option in 2020. But the Rams might want to lock him up before then because the price to retain quarterbacks rises quickly. Jimmy Garoppolo just signed an extension with the San Francisco 49ers that pays him an average salary of $27.5 million — after seven career starts.

Big picture: The Rams went from Kurt Warner to Marc Bulger, then hit a major dry spell. They drafted Sam Bradford first overall in 2010, but ACL injuries forced him to sit the second half of 2013 and the entirety of 2014. From 2013 to 2016, the Rams employed seven starting quarterbacks, including Kellen Clemens, Austin Davis, Shaun Hill, Nick Foles, Case Keenum, Bradford and Goff. Those QBs combined for a 37.5 Total QBR, the worst in the NFL in that four-season stretch.

But the Rams firmly believe that they found their long-term franchise quarterback in Goff, largely because they feel even more confident about what surrounds him. Goff is operating behind an offensive line that is significantly improved by the addition of left tackle Andrew Whitworth. He is throwing to a young and talented group of receivers led by Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp and handing the ball off to arguably the game’s best running back in Todd Gurley. McVay, the head coach and playcaller, is 32 and just won the Associated Press Coach of the Year Award.

The game plan: To continue growing with Goff, who the Rams believe can get even better in Year 3. Eventually — if he develops the way they hope — they’ll have to pay him in line with the game’s highest-paid players. But that isn’t the focus right now; it’s to continue to build stability on offense. The Rams have nine of 11 offensive starters returning, and their only two free agents, receiver Sammy Watkins and center John Sullivan, have a decent chance of coming back. Their two starting tight ends, Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett, two leading receivers, Woods and Kupp, and Gurley are all 25 or younger and signed for at least the next two seasons. But the Rams need to get going on their next wave of offensive linemen.

Three starters — left guard Rodger Saffold, right guard Jamon Brown and right tackle Rob Havenstein — are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents next offseason. Whitworth is 36, and Sullivan, 32, could hit the open market. At some point, the Rams also need to find out about Goff’s backup, Mannion, a third-round pick in 2015 who has thrown only 50 NFL passes and is a year away from free agency. Gone from last season’s staff are offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur (holding the same title, but with more responsibility, on the Tennessee Titans) and quarterbacks coach Greg Olson (now the offensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders). McVay will be spending a lot more time with Goff moving forward.

What does an uncontested pass look like? I think I have seen a few in my life, but in the 6,000 football games I’ve watched, only about a dozen passes were uncontested.

Jared Goff and the Rams were the Kings of play action in 2017!

Jared Goff led NFL in play-action yards in 2017, and it wasn't close

When you have a strong running game, it makes throwing the ball infinitely easier. Not only does it take pressure off of the quarterback, but it also sets up the play-action pass.

Jared Goff experienced exactly that in 2017 with Todd Gurley behind him in the backfield. Gurley, the Offensive Player of the Year, was second in the NFL with 1,305 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, proving to be one of the best backs in football.

As a result, linebackers and safeties were constantly worried about him getting the ball. That made play-action far more effective. In fact, no quarterback had more yards off play-action than Goff, and it wasn’t particularly close.

the most important stat that impressed me about him was his ypa. i mean it’s been talked about here before, but 8.0 is an exceptional number.

that’s the number that i want to see goff hit again this year more than any other.

but they lost watkins. and it’s gonna be hard to get that explosion back. and just in general i don’t think the rams surprise anyone next year. there aren’t going to be the same number of explosive plays that we saw last year.

so goff is going to have to get his completion percentage up. it was a healthy 62.1%. i’d like to see that number go up to 67.1%. maybe that’s unrealistic. but even somewhere around 65% would be good. less explosion. but more precision. he’ll have to keep digging into the offense. keep studying defenses. get his chemistry down with his receivers.

so he knows exactly where to go with the ball every play. there were times last season where he looked a little confused. more than he should be. but it was his first season in a new offensive scheme.

and the more reps he gets, the slower the game should become. which should improve his vision.

i’m excited. there might be a little regression before we see improvement. who knows?

i’m also a little nervous.

wv wrote:

Predicting the future is always tricky:

and case keenum and jared goff both had great seasons the following year… and they could just as easily fall back to earth this year.

yeah. it’s all guesses. he could regress like blake bortles did. injuries could derail his career.

i was encouraged by how he approached last offseason. and i hope he does the same this offseason. last offseason, i’m not sure how much exposure he got to the playbook. but he and his teammates should at least be able to dive into it full throttle this offseason if only on their own and without the coaches.

and i hope he continues to hit the weights and get stronger.

the one thing that really worries me is losing lafleur AND olson. how much does that hurt? losing BOTH your oc and qb coach. losing all that experience cuz i don’t know anything about waldron or taylor. absolutely nothing. lafleur and olson had a track record. they’ve been in the league for years. how does that impact goff?

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by InvaderRam.

InvaderRam wrote:

i did do some reading up on zac taylor. he coached tannehill from 2013-2015.

those three seasons tannehill’s yardage went up from 3913 to 4045 to 4208.

ypa went up from 6.7 to 6.9 to 7.2.

tds went from 24 to 27 to 24.

passer rating went from 81.7 to 92.8 to 88.7

sacks went down from 58 to 46 to 45.

Good work.

Here’s a new vid.