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As is the nature of today’s instant analysis media, Mike Sando over at ESPN (in$ider... BOO) took the time to re-grade each team’s 2016 offseason moves. If you have in$ider... you’ve probably already seen this (and have more $ than I). If you don’t, fear not. TST has you covered.
Here is what Sando had to say about the Los Angeles Rams 2016 offseason.
Los Angeles Rams
Re-grade: C-minus | Offseason grade: C-plus
The Rams went all-in for Jared Goff in a move that will define their 2016 offseaeson for better or worse. His rookie season was definitely one for the "worse" column. Los Angeles went 0-7 in the games Goff started. The Rams' offensive line struggled. Goff had questionable weapons, unproven offensive coaching and no running game to take pressure off him. He also did little to inspire confidence in the Rams' decision to go after him so aggressively.
Everything else the Rams did last offseason -- keeping Trumaine Johnson over Janoris Jenkins, cutting veteran defensive starters, extending contracts for William Hayes and Mark Barron -- will go down as inconsequential footnotes next to the Goff gambit. There's more evidence against Goff than for Goff at this early stage, which is why the offseason grade takes a hit here. The rookie averaged 5.3 yards per pass attempt and 3.8 yards per pass play, which counts sacks. Those figures were last in the league among the 33 quarterbacks with at least 200 pass attempts.
I think that’s a pretty fair assessment, though I personally think that the Rams should have been downgraded further based on the Jackrabbit’s pro-bowl play in NYC this season. The Rams made a very conscious decision to choose Mark Barron over Jenkins and it bit them in the ass hardcore in 2016.
Sando pretty much hits the nail on the head here though. All of the peripheral moves pale in comparison to drafting Goff. If he doesn’t pan out, those moves will multiply the scrutiny the Rams will face. But if he turns out to be everything the Rams dreamed, all those peripheral moves will likely be forgotten as the Rams will finally have a franchise QB.