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The 2016 NFL Draft kicks off in less than 48 hours and it's all but certain the Los Angeles Rams will take Cal QB Jared Goff over North Dakota St. QB Carson Wentz.
Well, at least if you filter out the BS. And you should.
The first real crack in the glass came on Sunday as the LA Times' Sam Farmer reported the following in his profile of Goff:
Multiple people with knowledge of the situation say the NFL has asked the Rams to keep their quarterback choice quiet until the draft, thereby sustaining the drama.
This of course repudiated the repeated comments from Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher and General Manager Les Snead who both suggested they had yet to make a final decision because sure, an NFL team is going to trade up to the #1 overall pick from #15 without knowing who they're going to use it on. Sadly, there are many people who would believe something so incredibly illogical; the NFL hoped/hopes to feed that lack of logic for the next two days. Good for them. And good for Snisher for being good soldiers and playing along.
But we've seen clues that things were angled toward Goff. Random reports and tweets here and there, including the repeated avocations from NFL Network's Mike Silver that linked the Rams to Goff. Remember that Silver has repeatedly been granted access to the Rams during the draft...and that he has consistently praised Fisher for years despite being unable to turn out a winning record in four years. As he told us in November of last season (again, not 2013 or 2014 but last year as the Rams were on the way to turning out the NFL's worst offense):
@TurfShowTimes I think he's a really good head coach and that the Rams are on the verge of breaking through
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) November 23, 2015
So with the dam nearly breaking, now comes yet another crack, this more definitive and attributable than any prior:
As I first reported on April 14, Jared Goff is #Rams choice. The decision is now final, source confirms. #NFLDraft
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 26, 2016
Schultz is a columnist for Huffington Post, formerly of Bleacher Report, and son of Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz (unrelated, but as if I could get through this without mentioning it...HA).
Take it for what it's worth. But while you're doing that? Bear in mind the odds from online sports book Bovada who have Wentz at 7/1 to be the #1 overall pick and Goff at...1/15. No, you read that right.
We've got two days until the draft. Let's dispense with the (un)pleasantries.
The Los Angeles Rams are taking Cal QB Jared Goff with the #1 overall pick.