Questions at QB, LT could lessen allure of Rams' coaching jobBy Alden Gonzalez
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Rams' coaching vacancy can be considered attractive for a variety of reasons. It's in Los Angeles, where a beautiful new stadium will be erected for the 2019 season. You would work for an owner, Stan Kroenke, who has exhibited a rare amount of patience. And there are impact stars on both sides of the ball in defensive tackle Aaron Donald and, if the right pieces surround him, running back Todd Gurley.
But the offense needs a lot of work, and as the Rams wind down their first season back in L.A., the two most critical positions increasingly raise concerns.
The new coach can't be certain that he has a franchise quarterback, and he would probably be in need of a franchise left tackle. The Rams recently used Nos. 1 and 2 overall picks for those spots. They drafted left tackle Greg Robinson second overall out of Auburn in 2014, then traded up to draft quarterback Jared Goff first overall out of California earlier in 2016.
However, Robinson has been benched in two of his last four games, and might only play in Sunday's season finale if starting right tackle Robert Havenstein is ruled out. Goff, meanwhile, has struggled mightily through his first six NFL starts, completing 53.5 percent of his passes, averaging 5.24 yards per attempt, posting a 0.71 touchdown-to-interception ratio and compiling a 24.6 Total QBR.
"It's on me," Goff said after Saturday's 22-21 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, which made him 0-6 as the starter. "It comes back to the quarterback every time. It's on me. I need to be better. Every day in practice I need to be better, and every day on Sundays I need to be better. I promise everyone out there, all of the Rams fans, that I'm going to do everything I can, everything in me, to make that happen and get this thing fixed."
Goff will get plenty of chances.
Robinson has used up most of his.
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