The 2016 season was mostly met with frustration among fans of the newly relocated Los Angeles Rams. The franchise returned to Los Angeles with the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, quarterback Jared Goff, but the theme of the season was how much the Rams messed up with either drafting Goff or developing him to be ready to play in the league. This was magnified by fellow rookie quarterback Dak Prescott helping the Dallas Cowboys to a division title and No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz getting a full season of starting experience in Philadelphia.
Goff’s struggles to transition from the air-raid style of the Cal Bears in the Pac-12 to be capable of running an NFL offense were to be expected, but a No. 1 pick is also expected to come along faster than Goff was. Was it poor coaching and leadership working with Goff, or was Goff just not right for the job?
Whatever the case, the 2017 season is already taking on a new tone with the Rams. A new coach can do that for a team, but a year of growing pains also seem to be leading to a new narrative surrounding Goff as the quarterback of the future for the Rams. Though just in the offseason workouts, there are some encouraging signs coming through the Rams beat in June, which is a step in the right direction.
1. FYI on #Rams OTA: Jared Goff looked good again, and dropped an absolute dime over DB coverage & into the hands of Robert Woods for a TD
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) June 5, 2017
“You can tell, especially just starting with the command of the offense, him being able to take that and control the huddle and get guys lined up, and keep that poise when things aren’t going well and when things are going well,” Rams wide receiver Tyler Higbee said in a story published by ESPN. “He looks good.”
Higbee isn’t the only teammate singing the offseason praises of Goff.
“More confident, more relaxed, more poised in the pocket” Rams receiver Mike Thomas said of Goff, comparing his approach to what he saw last year. “Letting the game come to him and taking his time, being patient on the field.”
5. Jared Goff had a good day. Hit Nelson Spruce for a long TD in one drill. Hit Higbee, Kupp ahead of TD to Woods in two-min drill.
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 5, 2017
We should also note that it is much easier to look good in offseason workouts than in an actual game where the opposing defenders are actually going to come after you and not let up, so any positivity coming out of the Rams right now is little more than the typical offseason fluff for now. It will be up to Goff to prove this is all legitimate once the preseason gets underway and then prove he can pass the test during the regular season when the games mean something. First-year Rams head coach Sean McVay is aware there is still work to be done with Goff.
“Jared is our guy; we have a lot of confidence in what he’s done,” McVay said on Monday, via ESPN. “We’re going to play the guys that give us the ability to win football games and the guys that are competing at the highest level. Clearly, Jared has done that so far. It’s a one-day-at-a-time process, but what he has done is just pick things up. He’s getting better every single day, and he has definitely commanded that role.”
Will he be able to show that same command once the hitting starts? That will be the key to the future of the Rams, but for right now it’s a nice encouraging story to follow for Rams fans.
[ESPN]
