Rams will be patient, but Jared Goff likely to start sooner than later

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/29179/rams-will-be-patient-but-jared-goff-likely-to-start-sooner-than-later

LOS ANGELES — The best-laid plans of NFL teams can change at the drop of a hat. Or, perhaps in the case of the Los Angeles Rams, at the cost of a move from No. 15 to No. 1 in the 2016 draft.

Soon after making their move up the draft board, the Rams’ biggest decision was whether to take Cal quarterback Jared Goff or North Dakota State signal-caller Carson Wentz. Now, the biggest question facing Goff and the Rams isn’t who but when.

As in when will Goff take over as starting quarterback for a team that finished at the bottom of the league in most major passing categories a year ago?

History shows there’s not necessarily a right or wrong approach to throwing a top pick into fire. More often than not, such choices have proved dependent almost solely on the individual.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher knows a thing or two about handling such situations. The then-Houston Oilers drafted Steve McNair, the best quarterback Fisher ever coached, with the third pick in 1995. McNair promptly went to the bench, making only brief cameos before taking over full time as the starter in 1997.

“Steve did play under center his junior year in a pro-style system and then got in the shotgun his senior year,” Fisher said. “We were very patient with him and he was asked numerous times, ‘When are you going to play?’ and it’s the same thing that Jared said, ‘When the coaches say I’m ready for it.’ I think we handled it well. We’re not going to follow that same model because he’s got a different skill set than Steve.”

The model the Rams will follow is more likely one taken from a page in general manager Les Snead’s history. As one of the key personnel evaluators for the Atlanta Falcons, Snead was part of the group that drafted quarterback Matt Ryan in 2008. The Falcons insisted Chris Redman would be their starter until Ryan was ready. As it turned out, Ryan was ready around Week 3 of the preseason and went on to start 16 games as a rookie. The same was true of Joe Flacco in Baltimore.

In fact, over the past eight years there has been a growing trend of quarterbacks who were taken early starting right away. In addition to Flacco and Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Sam Bradford, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were all Week 1 starters in their first season.

The lone exception among top signal-callers taken recently was Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles, who sat the first two games and part of a third before playing and becoming the starter.

Of course, that list of quarterbacks has produced varying levels of success.

“Well everybody is different,” Fisher said. “Jameis is different than the next quarterback. We have always had the philosophy that we are going to play them when we think they are ready. We aren’t going to subject them to fail, so whenever that is you are going to see him under center. We aren’t going to come out Day 1 and announce that he is a starter. It’s going to happen pretty soon, sooner than probably later.”

For Goff, learning the offense won’t be easy as he transitions from Cal’s “Bear Raid” spread system to a more pro-style offense. The Rams will help him by adding some concepts he’s comfortable with, and they view Goff as a quick study based on what they’ve already seen.

At last weekend’s rookie orientation, Fisher was walking through the team’s temporary Oxnard meeting areas when he encountered Goff leaving the quarterback room at 10 p.m., long after the day’s scheduled meetings were done.

“He’s a guy that understands priorities,” Fisher said. “He knows how to budget his time and where to spend his time. It’ll change a little bit. We’ll get him some information this week so he can stay up as we continue to install. He’s handled everything. As I’ve mentioned before, he’s got that internal, competitive drive that you don’t see. He doesn’t wear it on his sleeve. He’s going to make sure that everything’s right.”

For his part, Goff has acknowledged that he’d like to play right away but also has said he’s proving himself to the coaches and leaving the decision in their hands. Upon getting his first taste of the Rams’ playbook, Goff said there were things, especially in the shotgun, that translate from college.

The difficult thing for Goff is adjusting to playing under center more and learning the terminology.

“The way they say it, and they’re absolutely right, it’s almost like you’re learning a different language,” Goff said. “It’s from any system you come from in college – it doesn’t really matter. It’s like you’re going into Spanish class and you have to become fluent in Spanish over however long the time is. That’s kind of what it is.”

There’s plenty of time for Goff to get up to speed between now and the season opener on Sept. 12. The Rams have Case Keenum in place to offer competition,but it’s unlikely anyone but Goff will start that game against San Francisco.

“I always thought when you invest that much, unless you have Brett Favre sitting on your team, I think you have got to play him,” former NFL coach Rick Venturi said. “I have always believed that. You learn by doing and the only thing you learn sitting is you learn how to sit.”

Even Fisher, who won’t make any sweeping declarations before he absolutely has to, has dropped plenty of hints that it won’t take long for Goff to take over.

“He may start the opener on Monday night, we don’t know, but that’s the goal,” Fisher said.

It would be a surprise if that’s a goal the Rams and Goff don’t accomplish.

Wagoner vid: Should Jared Goff be the Rams starter in Week 1?

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:15502855

Goff Eager for Opportunity to be Franchise QB

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Goff-Eager-for-Opportunity-to-be-Franchise-QB/d100bc4e-af8f-47cd-ba32-1f94a5c5ae86#content-tools-share

In the pre-draft process, the Rams’ brass looked at Jared Goff and saw special, franchise-quarterback qualities.

That much has been clear for the better part of the last month — otherwise the club would not have executed a deal that sent six draft picks to the Titans in exchange for No. 1 overall and a pair of late-round selections.

For a team that needed to increase its offensive production, particularly in the passing game, trading up for Goff represented a unique opportunity to acquire prime talent at football’s most important position.

“Obviously, when the season was over, we just felt like the quarterback position needed to be addressed,” head coach Jeff Fisher said.

“We identified the quarterback that we thought solved the problem for us, [someone who] was a long-term solution,” general manager Les Snead said. “So we tried to go get him and we were successful.”

Now the job becomes making the prospect into a franchise quarterback — a process that appears to mean a lot to Goff.

“Again, it’s an honor for them to select me No. 1 and it’s something I’m not going to take lightly — to be, hopefully, a franchise quarterback,” the signal-caller said during rookie orientation weekend. “That’s something I’m working towards. And it’s something that doesn’t come overnight. I’ve got to work every day at it, continue to get better.”

Goff’s life became a whirlwind once he heard his named called in Chicago just under two weeks ago. With his extensive media responsibilities followed by a small celebration with family and friends that Thursday night, he only had a few hours of sleep before jetting to Los Angeles for his introductory press conference. Goff was able to catch his breath at home in Northern California for a few days, but then it was back to football.

And it was getting on the field for rookie camp that made the young QB’s new reality sink in.

“Today it started to,” Goff said on Friday. “Started to realize that you’re actually in the NFL. You see the horns on the side of your helmet, you know you’re on the Rams. And it’s really cool. I’m excited for all of the rookies, being able to meet them and build relationships with them. It’s great.”

While the rookies did not do too much on the filed over the weekend, many of Goff’s strengths still stood out both on and off the field.

“The arm strength, the release, the ball speed, acceleration. His footwork is all really good,” Fisher said. “That’s what we expected.”

“This was more of a mental exercise for him, from the standpoint of getting under center, calling the plays, calling out protections,” Fisher continued. “We dumped a lot on him, but I’m, obviously, not concerned about complete or incomplete passes because when his back foot hits, the time clock [in his head] says, ‘Get rid of the ball.’ And the receivers are under instruction [to go] half-speed. So it doesn’t time up well. But he was fine. He’s going to be good.”

Goff’s work ethic was also clear, as Fisher mentioned in his press conference on Saturday that he spotted the quarterback leaving the meeting room at 10 o’clock p.m. Friday night.

“He’s that kind of guy,” Fisher said at the presser. “He’ll spend the time. It’s important to him.”

Goff has likened learning his new playbook to studying a foreign language. But by all accounts, the process is going well.

“It’s nothing too crazy. There’s a lot of stuff that we did at Cal that translates. There’s a lot of stuff that I’m learning as well, but it’s really going smoothly,” Goff said, crediting offensive coordinator Rob Boras and QBs coach Chris Weinke. “I don’t see there to be too much of a problem picking it up. I feel pretty confident with it.”

It may help that the young quarterback is acclimating to the league with a number of rookie offensive weapons. And those players have also given him positive reviews.

“He’s the No. 1 quarterback — you can’t go wrong with that,” wideout Pharoh Cooper said. “We’ve been talking a lot through meetings and our down time, so we’re pretty cool. It’s just great to play with a great quarterback coming out of college being that he’s a rookie, too.”

“He’s a great guy. He’s very talented. And I’m looking forward to what’s in the future,” tight end Tyler Higbee said. “It’s exciting getting out there, catching that first pass from him. But I’m looking forward to a lot more.”

It’s the nascent stage of his career, but Goff does have his sights set on the future. And yet in order to accomplish his goals, he knows he must invest in himself and the team.

“I want to be, obviously, a guy who’s here for 10, 15 years,” Goff said. “But you have to work hard to get to that point. And I’m excited to do that. I’m excited to do that and hold myself to a high standard.”

“To be in Los Angeles, to be playing for the Rams — it’s the best-case scenario,” Goff added. 
“And it’s something that I’m very, very excited for.”

L.A. RAMS’ T.J. MCDONALD ARRESTED FOR DUI

http://www.tmz.com/2016/05/10/l-a-rams-t-j-mcdonald-arrested-for-dui-allegedly-hits-parked-car/

L.A. Rams safety T.J. McDonald was arrested for DUI early Tuesday morning after cops say he crashed into a parked car … TMZ Sports has learned.

We’re told McDonald waited for police to arrive and when they got there, cops noticed something was off about the 25-year-old … so they brought him to the station for a DUI screening.

He was eventually arrested for DUI — not alcohol related. We’re told officials believe there may be medication involved. He has since been released on his own recognizance.

We reached out to the Rams for comment — so far, no word back.

from off the net

—

RockRam

1) Goff better than Wentz in mental part of the game, and in pocket movement and pocket skills. About the only things where Wentz is superior is arm strength and running ability. But Goff has more than enough arm strength. Goff accurate at every level on the field. Very confident. Aggressive.

2) Goff better than Winston or Marriotta.

3) A very good leader.

4) Fast processor of info, moves through his progressions rapidly, excellent field vision, always in balance to make accurate throws.

5) Good analogy is Peyton Manning.

6) Rams did the right thing and got good value in the trade

7) Goff does more than just make the right read, he understands the underlying concepts and so can adjust on the fly

8) Fisher a better coach than his years so far with the Rams; probably not as good as his Superbowl year. A solid HC, good at developing young talent.

9) Goff only the 2nd QB Fisher got to choose….the other was McNair. Other QBs forced on him by ownership or circumstance.

10) Expect around a 5-11 to 6-10 year. The best if everything goes right probably 8-8. Only way they make the playoffs is if Arizona or Seattle collapse (and he says not likely).

11) Goal with choosing several young WRs and TEs is for Goff and them to grow together.

12) Thinks several of the WRs have a chance to be very good; named Thomas and North. Cooper a slot guy, perhaps later a WO. Thought Spruce could be a Steve Smith type of possession WR.

13) Tavon Austin a gadget player. Few gadget players ever become good all around position players.

14) Believes long term stability at QB and with the Coaching is the key to long term success in a franchise.

15) Timed 40 speed overrated for WRs. Start and stop ability, route running, good hands far more important. 4.7 plenty fast to be a very good NFL WR if the player has quickness, good route runner, very good start/stop ability. Isaac Bruce an example. Spruce is similar.

wv wrote:

Maybe, the Democraps wake up and see that the DNC crowd
has ruined the party and turned it into Republican-lite,
and maybe they realize they need to turn left — toward Bernie-type candidates.

Well…IMO? Flat bloody chance.

. Steadily bringing along your new franchise quarterback, a la Aaron Rodgers, is a nice idea. But in today’s NFL, with quarterbacks at a premium and job security so rare, it’s not exactly a realistic one.

I don’t see the reasoning there. “Aaron Rodgers” who sat for a couple of year is not the only alternative to starting week one.

I personally don’t care when he starts…but I imagine it would be in the first half of the season. I also don’t think it matters that much. I don’t think job security is an issue, I think Keenum has enough to do fine for however long it is, and I trust the coaches on this one.

Bradford started immediately, and in some ways had more to learn about pro offenses than Goff does. But then in 2010 the Rams had the league’s 3rd easiest schedule v. now when they have one of the toughest schedules in a competitive division with a couple of great defenses.

To me this isn’t controversial. I don’t see any critical need for urgency, and I don’t think my own impatience translates into good football reasons.

Expectations will be high as Los Angeles Rams rookie Jared Goff makes transition to NFL

Sam Farmer

http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-rookie-quarterbacks-20160510-story.html

Before he moves forward as Rams quarterback, Jared Goff needs to move backward. Again and again.

The No. 1 pick in last month’s NFL draft is making the transition from a spread to a pro-style offense, taking snaps from under center for the first time since his freshman year in high school. It’s a fairly common transformation these days — fellow first-round pick Paxton Lynch faces a similar learning curve with the Denver Broncos — but it’s more complicated than meets the eye.

“Passing the football is rhythm and timing,” Rams quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke said during a rookie mini-camp last week. “When I’m under center, that rhythm and timing is different than when I’m in the [shot]gun. If I haven’t done it since I was 14 years old, and now I come to this level with the speed of the game, there’s a transition.

“We felt like this kid has the mental capacity to pick it up, the physical ability to be able to make the transition, and we saw it today. We had a walk-through earlier, and from that walk-through to the second walk-through he got better. So there’s growth on Day 1, and that’s what we truly believed in when we drafted the guy.”

The Rams say they won’t play Goff until he’s absolutely ready to step into the job and that they’ve got a sturdy bridge player in quarterback Case Keenum, who has won NFL games. But the reality is, the days of sitting a high-drafted rookie the way the Philadelphia Eagles did with Donovan McNabb, the San Diego Chargers did with Philip Rivers or the Green Bay Packers did with Aaron Rodgers are distant memories.

The expectation is a first-round rookie steps in and plays right away, especially one that cost so much in terms of draft picks, the Rams making an unprecedented trade up from No. 15.

Goff is not alone in that category. Carson Wentz, the No. 2 pick, is shouldering the same expectations in Philadelphia, as is Lynch in Denver. Second-round pick Christian Hackenberg is in the spotlight with the New York Jets, even as the expectations are that the club will eventually work through its contractual impasse with Ryan Fitzpatrick.

And the stage is set for a quarterback competition in Cleveland, which took USC’s Cody Kessler in the third round. Although many evaluators think that taking Kessler that early was a reach and that he’s best suited to be a No. 3 and work his way up, the Browns seem to be more comfortable inserting him sooner. Cleveland, which has had 24 starting quarterbacks since re-launching as an expansion franchise in 1999, signed Robert Griffin III in March.

“If there’s a team that has a 15-year vet or if there’s an open competition, I’m treating it as if I’m the starter,” Kessler told reporters last week. “I’m going to come in there and compete for a spot, but I’m not going to be arrogant.”

It used to be that young quarterbacks sat, sometimes for years, and learned at the elbow of reliable veterans. A seismic shift happened in 2008, when the Atlanta Falcons took Matt Ryan with the third pick, the Baltimore Ravens took Joe Flacco with the 18th and both quarterbacks not only started their entire rookie seasons but also reached the playoffs. No rookie quarterback had done that before. (Peyton Manning was the Day 1 starter for the Indianapolis Colts a decade earlier, for instance, but the Colts went 3-13 during his rookie season.)

Since Ryan and Flacco entered the league, at least one rookie quarterback has started his team’s opener, among them the Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford, the Colts’ Andrew Luck, the Oakland Raiders’ Derek Carr and last year’s Nos. 1 and 2 picks, Jameis Winston of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Marcus Mariota of the Tennessee Titans.

Rams General Manager Les Snead was a scout in Atlanta when the Falcons drafted Ryan and said the team started him only because he was ready to go, not because of external pressure to do so.

However, Snead said the league could be in a “swing cycle” back to the time when it was OK to sit a rookie quarterback for a while because of what he sees as a widening gap in styles between NFL and college offenses.

“It’s still relatively simple to go and pick out, ‘That guy has the traits to play in the NFL and be successful,’ ” Snead said. “What’s getting harder is, how long is it going to take that guy — whether he’s a wide receiver, an offensive lineman, or a quarterback — to be ready? You’ve got to learn to take a snap for the first time, even if that seems odd. Learn to call a protection, learn multiple cadences. We all know that while you’re learning something, you’re a little slower. So the key is, don’t put the guy out while he’s still a little slower while he’s learning it.”

Former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner, who led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl victory, said the act of dropping back to pass is more complex than most people realize. A quarterback’s drop meshes with the route timing of his receivers, so a passer will know by his own feet where his receivers are at any given point.

“The hard part is developing that timing when you’re in shotgun and you’re not taking a drop,” said Warner, now an NFL Network analyst. “That to me is the hardest part. I think all of these quarterbacks can develop an ability to drop back and throw from under center. But there’s no question when you’re learning a million different things and trying to get acclimated with the speed, the last thing you want to have to work on is being able to take a center snap and drop back five yards and think about that aspect of things, when you really want to be thinking about just the mental side of playing this game.”

Sonny Dykes, Goff’s coach at California, said the transition could be easier for Golden Bears quarterbacks, who are asked to make sophisticated reads of a defense.

“What I think gives our guys a chance at the next level is … we do a lot of full-field reading,” Dykes said. “So Jared, a lot of times it’s based on, ‘If this guy does this, you do this.’ We asked him to read pre-snap and before the snap decide, ‘I’m throwing it here.’ We also ask him to read one specific guy, a half-field read. ‘OK, if this guy does this, throw it to this guy.’ We also ask for full-field reads, where he drops back and may start to the left, and he’s going to progress all the way through his reads and get to his fourth or fifth read.

“Just what they’d ask [in the NFL]. I don’t know what else they’d ask a guy to do.”

Dykes has no concerns about Goff making the under-center transition quickly and seamlessly.

“Sure, there’s some footwork things involved,” he said. “If you were talking about a guy here that had slow feet or wasn’t good in the pocket, I could see where you could say he’d have a hard time adjusting. But we’re talking about a guy here that’s got as good a feet as anybody I’ve ever seen. That’s what makes him unique.”