Rams must pursue quarterback Josh Dobbs in the 2024 offseason

The Los Angeles Rams under Sean McVay have failed to sign an adequate (or in the case of John Wolford), an NFL-caliber arm as QB2. Rookie Stetson Bennett was supposed to fill in for Stafford in a pinch but he’s been away from the team due to personal reasons. Based on resume alone, Carson Wentz is the best backup LA has ever signed under McVay, but a more exciting option resides in the NFC.

The Minnesota Vikings traded for Josh Dobbs at the October 31 NFL trade deadline for just a sixth-round pick. What Minnesota got in return was a dual-threat signal caller who has helped get the Vikings back into the playoff picture following a 1-4 start.

Dobbs has given his team plenty to think about once the season concludes. Whether they choose to stick with him or re-sign Kirk Cousins will be a situation to monitor. The Tennessee product will have a market if the Vikings let him walk. Who’s to say the Rams can’t be one of those options?

Signing Dobbs will be expensive based on his performance this season. He will have plenty of suitors with several teams potentially giving him a chance to earn a starting role. LA could be one of those teams offering him opportunities to start depending on what happens with Stafford.

Stafford has struggled to stay healthy since being traded to Los Angeles. The veteran missed the Green Bay game and sat out the final eight games in 2022 due to injuries. Based on his troubling availability, Stafford is no longer reliable. Not to say the Rams must part ways with Matt after the season. It’s always wise to have insurance just in case things go south again. I would expect all of Rams faithful would like to avoid a Brett Rypien-like disasterclass in the future.

Earlier this season, I highlighted the play of Dobbs following Arizona’s stunning upset of the Cowboys in Week 3. The Cardinals only went 1-7 with Dobbs as a starter. Yet, he was the only one keeping that crappy team competitive.

Through two games with the Vikings, Dobbs has passed for 426 yards and three touchdowns, along with 110 rushing yards and two additional scores on the ground. He’s already Minnesota’s third-leading rusher behind Alexander Mattison and Cam Akers. Dobbs’ mobility is severely underrated. In his first game against the Falcons, Dobbs had two key scrambles that contributed to the comeback win. The first was an 11-yard scramble on third down which set up a touchdown before halftime.

His second came on fourth-and-7 with the Vikings trailing 28-24. Dobbs rushed for 22 yards on the play which eventually set up the game-winning touchdown with 22 seconds left in regulation.

Dobbs has demonstrated poise in the face of adversity. He has been on three teams since March and is playing like a man with nothing and everything to lose all at the same time. The veteran QB has rarely been given much of a chance in his NFL career and he’s been giving his all every week. His story has been seemingly tailor-made for Hollywood so is it destined to be for the Rams?

Either Dobbs is simply a flash in the pan or he’s going to improve with the eventual return of All-Pro Justin Jefferson. Regardless, LA has to properly invest in the backup position and I have a feeling Carson Wentz will not be that guy. Instead, LA should fork over a reasonable amount of money to acquire Dobbs if the Vikings choose not to re-sign him.

For one, he has the best set of nicknames in the business. One is “Passtronaut” but he chooses to go by “Astro”. Again, how dope are those?! In all seriousness, the Rams would be lucky to have a QB2 as dedicated as Josh Dobbs in their quarterback room. Astro certainly has a winning mentality on and off the field which would mesh well with McVay and a young LA team.