Random Ramsdom: LA may have feigned disinterest in Stetson Bennett pre-draft

NFL Rumors: Rams Felt Teams Pretended to Be Lower on Stetson Bennett Before Draft (bleacherreport)

“The Los Angeles Rams dropped some jaws around the NFL when they used a fourth-round pick on Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett.

Internally, though, the Rams were sold at least a few teams were high on Bennett.

Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic reported some within the Rams organization felt teams “were pretending they weren’t as high on Bennett as they really were.”

Rams director of draft management J.W. Jordan said he felt inherent biases about Bennett’s supporting cast at Georgia led to some evaluators not seeing him fairly.

“That’s what you think going in,” Jordan said. “So in a way, it’s like you’ve got to overcome that bias. But when you start watching him, you’re like, ‘Oh. This guy is more than just a cog in the wheel. He’s driving the bus — for better or worse, however good or bad he is, he’s driving the bus.”

Bennett led Georgia to back-to-back national championships and won offensive MVP in both games the past two seasons. That said, few saw him as an elite NFL option due to his size (5-foot-11, 192 pounds) and lack of elite physical traits in terms of speed, agility and arm strength.”

Rams are signing former Broncos QB Brett Rypien (yahoo!sports)

“The Los Angeles Rams added a quarterback during the 2023 NFL draft by selecting Stetson Bennett in the fourth round. Just a few days after making Bennett the second quarterback on the roster, the Rams are signing Brett Rypien to a one-year deal.

Rypien began his career as an undrafted rookie with the Denver Broncos in 2020. In his three seasons with the Broncos, Rypien made 3 starts and recorded a 2-1 record, while totaling 778 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and eight interceptions in his career.”

Stetson Bennett’s Hollywood story might be just the beginning with Los Angeles Rams (dawgnation)

“The former Georgia quarterback could not have landed in a better situation than stepping into the back-up role behind Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford.

Stafford has added incentive to help out a fellow UGA football player, and Bennett has motivation to stay ready with Stafford’s well-documented spinal cord issue.

The Mailman might literally be one snap away from becoming an NFL starter in 2023 with a strong offseason.

To be clear, Bennett’s focus as he heads to Los Angeles is on making it big in SoFi Stadium.

“Stetson is fully focused on being the best teammate and quarterback possible,” said Dan Everett, founder and president of the ESM Sports Management agency. “I do not expect a television and/or movie opportunities to be procured in the near future.”

Fair enough, but no one expected CFP Championship MVP trophies or a professional football opportunity for Bennett when he exited Pierce County (Ga.) High School as a 3-star prospect ranked 2,569th in the nation by 247Sports with no Power 5 offers.

So if or when pro football doesn’t work out, don’t rule out Bennett ending up on an even bigger stage in Hollywood.

After all, who better to play Stetson Bennett in a movie or documentary than ….. Stetson Bennett?

Bennett has the persona and qualities to cut it as an actor. He might not have graduated in his six years of college, but that was more about his disinterest in the classroom than his intelligence.

Bennett’s ACT score was over 30 and he piloted one of the most complex offenses in college football to back-to-back national championships.

One of the most attractive traits Bennett possesses is his ambition, which exceeds what most everyone on the outside could possibly perceive.

Kirby Smart recognized it, even if former UGA offensive coordinator Todd Monken didn’t, essentially dropping Bennett to fourth string in the 2021 spring game.

Bennett’s resiliency and confidence in himself is what enabled to him to climb to the top.

It wasn’t about being motivated to prove others wrong — it was merely a matter of Bennett proving himself right.”

NFL Power Rankings: Jets, Bears, Browns biggest post-draft risers; Chiefs, Eagles still top 2; Patriots plunge (cbssports)

“Free agency is over, the draft has come and gone, which means aside from a few veteran signings here and there, these are your teams for the 2023 NFL season, no matter how much the fans like it — or don’t.

With rosters pretty much set, it’s time to do the post-draft Power Rankings, the first ones with a real look toward the 2023 season. The top remains the same, with the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 1 and the Philadelphia Eagles in the second spot.

The Chiefs will have to navigate a brutal AFC to get back to the Super Bowl and have a chance to repeat. With Patrick Mahomes still healthy and capable of carrying this team, they have to remain the top team.

The Eagles will have a much easier path to get back to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Chiefs last February. The NFC isn’t close to being as good as the AFC. Just look at the quarterbacks. In addition to Mahomes, the AFC has Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence. The NFC has Jalen Hurts, which is why the Eagles are the favorites, and then after that it’s a group that includes Dak Prescott, Kirk Cousins and some others. It is not close to the AFC group.

But that doesn’t mean a team can’t emerge. I probably like Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff more than most, so the Lions are a contender with a good roster that was supplemented by a great draft. Coach Dan Campbell has a talented team that should be the favorite in the NFC North and push for even more. The Lions? It’s weird just writing that. The Lions are up to 11th in my rankings.”