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MalibuRam
The Canes offered Simpson $6 million in NIL money. Nick Saban advised him to go Pro.

I wouldn't be surprised if Snead told Simpson the Rams would draft him if available.

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1st Rounder

NO ONE. And I mean NO ONE made any rationalization that Milroe had an advantage running DeBoer's offense. That's poppycock.:banghead

The point made was that Milroe was an explosive talent and had just come off of a season where he played well enough to finish 6th in the Heisman voting and a question of whether there was a legit competition. Maybe I'm mistaken but has there ever been a time where a QB who played well enough to get Heisman votes lost their jobs to someone already on the team the following year? But, I digress.

Anyway, did Bama run DeBoer's offense in 2024? OK. He was the head coach.

But was it actually the same offense he had been running when Jalen Milroe ran more times in one season than both Pennix AND Simpson did COMBINED in 3 SEASONS under DeBoer. Probably not. Huh?.

So why did the DeBoer's so-called pass centric offense you state disappear for a season? The explosive Jalen Milroe.

So AGAIN, I state that a Milroe's so-called NFL Projection (which was higher prior to his final season) has absolutely nothing to do with anything regarding his starting over Simpson in COLLEGE.:

Perhaps you should stop :ROTF long enough to work on your reading comprehension skills.

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merlin

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1st Rounder
No it doesn't because the college game/concepts and the NFL game/concepts can be so different.

Some QBs can be better fits for the college game than the NFL game and Milroe fit the bill as an explosive running QB with his 4.3/40. One could even argue that he was the Alabama's offense in 2023 when he finished 6th in the Heisman voting with first (and only one) year coordinator Tommy Rees who had spent the prior 6 or so years at Notre Dame.

Bama ran year one of Kalen DeBoer's offense in 2024. That offense relies extremely heavily on the QB decision making tree to distribute the ball and is known to be pass game centric. There is no rationalization you can make with Milroe where he has some advantage in DeBoer's offense. Simpson lost the competition to Milroe, and he reportedly was not happy about it iirc, but he sat the bench like a dutiful backup QB afterwards and in his small appearance sample size of six games didn't do anything noteworthy, other than put up a forgettable completion percentage.

So. Again. And honestly for the last time in this thread at least, given that I don't want to further pollute the board with senseless back and forths, it is silliness to try to gloss over Simpson's inability to beat out Milroe for the 2024 season. That's the kind of thing I would expect his mother to do, not someone on a football board. :ROTF

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1st Rounder
No it doesn't because the college game/concepts and the NFL game/concepts can be so different.

Some QBs can be better fits for the college game than the NFL game and Milroe fit the bill as an explosive running QB with his 4.3/40. One could even argue that he was the Alabama's offense in 2023 when he finished 6th in the Heisman voting with first (and only one) year coordinator Tommy Rees who had spent the prior 6 or so years at Notre Dame.

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AlbaNY_Ram
There is certainly a risk/reward consideration with any draft pick. Maybe Simpson doesn't work out. But maybe Lemon wouldn't have worked out, either. (I'm looking at Lemon because he was available at 13 and was the odds on favorite to be the Rams' pick in Vegas. He seemed to be a popular choice among this board's posters as well, probably the most often mocked guy in the draft.)

Here's an article that tracked draftees from 2006 thru 2021. [www.pff.com] The data says that the Day 1 hit rate for QBs is 63.3% while the Day 1 hit rate for WRs is 56.9%. So there's the risk for each pick.

And what's the possible reward? Simpson might be a franchise QB, Lemon might be a WR1.

Statistically Simpson is less risk with a higher reward (the assumption being that a franchise QB is more valuable to an NFL tram than a WR1).

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1st Rounder
Milroe's NFL projection has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not Simpson should have been able to beat him out in college.

But he did put up good numbers for a 12-2 Bama team that lost in the 1st round of the CFB playoffs to the eventual NCAA Champion Michigan Wolverines prior to Deboer's arrival..

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merlin
If anyone other than McVay had drafted him that high, we'd be mocking the selection. But since it's the Rams, and since they clearly know what they're doing, opinion gets aligned behind that.

Not being able to beat out Bryce Young as a freshman... Understandable. Not beating him out as a sophomore... Ok fine. But not beating out Jalen Milroe is a bad look because he is a very limited QB who will need to earn first downs with his legs to move the chains in the NFL. Milroe is not going to ever consistently win from the pocket.

And then he gets his shot finally, in his final year, and looks like the best QB in college for the first half of the schedule. So on the positive side for us there is hope that he can be that QB for us. Unfortunately the second half of the schedule he came down to Earth a bit and looked like a backup on the biggest stage, the biggest games where defenses put some pressure on him. I will also note here that I think DeBoer is an outstanding QB developer, not to take anything away from Simpson but this is a coach who put a QB with a history of knee issues into round 1 (Penix).

Anyway Simpson is going to feel pressure in the NFL so he'll need to learn how to overcome that. But for myself until I see that, and until I see him string together consistent play over time as the QB1, I see him as a backup. The type of dude who is content to play second fiddle. Not the dude who sells his pool table because someone beat him on it (Elway). And statistically there is every reason to expect QB2 for him, certainly at the very least having that opinion is fair I would say.

Also and btw I don't look at Cam Newton as a "hit" as a top pick. He was certainly not a bust, but I don't think his career lived up to his draft selection. Expectation as a #1 overall pick is to be an elite starter over time. For myself at least. So the way I see it a small sample size is a significant problem, it induces a lot of risk statistically, and even though Simpson seems to be a great fit for McVay's system with his high floor I am going to focus on enjoying his development and crossing my fingers that we end up with an outlier.

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merlin
If anyone other than McVay had drafted him that high, we'd be mocking the selection. But since it's the Rams, and since they clearly know what they're doing, opinion gets aligned behind that.

Not being able to beat out Bryce Young as a freshman... Understandable. Not beating him out as a sophomore... Ok fine. But not beating out Jalen Milroe is a bad look because he is a very limited QB who will need to earn first downs with his legs to move the chains in the NFL. Milroe is not going to ever consistently win from the pocket.

And then he gets his shot finally, in his final year, and looks like the best QB in college for the first half of the schedule. So on the positive side for us there is hope that he can be that QB for us. Unfortunately the second half of the schedule he came down to Earth a bit and looked like a backup on the biggest stage, the biggest games where defenses put some pressure on him. I will also note here that I think DeBoer is an outstanding QB developer, not to take anything away from Simpson but this is a coach who put a QB with a history of knee issues into round 1 (Penix).

Anyway Simpson is going to feel pressure in the NFL so he'll need to learn how to overcome that. But for myself until I see that, and until I see him string together consistent play over time as the QB1, I see him as a backup. The type of dude who is content to play second fiddle. Not the dude who sells his pool table because someone beat him on it (Elway). And statistically there is every reason to expect QB2 for him, certainly at the very least having that opinion is fair I would say.

Also and btw I don't look at Cam Newton as a "hit" as a top pick. He was certainly not a bust, but I don't think his career lived up to his draft selection. Expectation as a #1 overall pick is to be an elite starter over time. For myself at least. So the way I see it a small sample size is a significant problem, it induces a lot of risk statistically, and even though Simpson seems to be a great fit for McVay's system with his high floor I am going to focus on enjoying his development and crossing my fingers that we end up with an outlier.

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Ramsdude
As for McVay "loving the kid"? I have no idea if that's true or not and based on his reaction at the Draft, I still have some doubts. Regardless of what happened prior to the pick that might have made McVay upset, imo, if he really loved the pick and was truly "excited" about the pick, he would've at least seemed a little bit happy about it. At least enough to make him forget about whatever he was mad about until after the pick of someone he "loved" and really wanted. McVay didn't even smile a little smile. lol Not once during that whole conference discussing the pick he allegedly "loved" so much.

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AlbaNY_Ram

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There are several names on that list that McVay might be able to work with but then again, a lot can change in one year and some new names might be added to that list.

This is the list of current NFL Qbs who are not signed past the 2027 season. I'm not sure how anyone else could be added to that list. Anyone who is currently under contract for the 2028 season will still be under contract 2 years from now ... unless they get cut.

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I would try Jones, Trubislky, Cousins over a rookie.

The thing is, Simpson won't be a rookie in 2028 - he'll be entering his 3rd season after spending two years as Stafford's apprentice, learning the Rams playbook, and being coached by what appears to be a staff assembled specifically to develop a QB.

Semantics. So he won't be a "rookie". Call him whatever you want. lol He most likely will still be a QB that hasn't played due to Stafford most likely getting all the starts and will have little to no actual game experience.

Personally I'll take the 2028 version of Simpson over anyone on that list.

That's your right. It's your opinion and you are entitled to it.

However, it's entirely possible that Simpson craps out and demonstrates that he is not the guy the Rams thought he was. What then?!?

What then? Well, that would make the Simpson pick look a little like a mistake imo. As I said before, I am not confident on McVay's choice of QB's to work with so far. The Wolf and Bennett are prime examples. From what I have seen, McVay has had more success with experiencd QB's than he has with inexperienced QB's. Maybe that changes with Simpson? IDK

Well, the Rams could sign Jones, Trubisky, Cousins, or whoever they like out of the 2028 FA QB class ... just like they would if they didn't draft Simpson.

Agreed. I would hope the Rams would do exactly that.

Taking Simpson is a minimal risk shot at getting a franchise QB on the cheap. And if it doesn't work out they can follow the exact same path they would have if they didn't draft him.

You are just repeating what you said above. "If Simpson fails, they can get someone else". Of course they can and they would HAVE to do just that, wouldn't they?

To be clear, I said it before, I hope Simpson is good enough to be our future QB1 for years to come replacing the HOF Stafford once he is done. Maybe I am just not as confident that will happen as you and some others are and maybe I will be wrong, but I wouldn't bet money on it. Simpson is not close to being a sure thing. There are many legit questions about him that can't be dismissed yet. He will get his chance...eventually. lol Until then, I will be rooting hard for him to be great.

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There are several names on that list that McVay might be able to work with but then again, a lot can change in one year and some new names might be added to that list.

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AlbaNY_Ram

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Ramsdude
Nope, not ignoring that at all 43. I just think Stafford will play at least 2 more years so drafting a QB high in 2027 would not be a huge need therefore no need to "burn a ton of Draft capitol".

I also think we would be better getting a FA QB to replace Stafford when that time comes.

I also think Stafford will play 2 more years - 2026 and 2027. And if the Rams did go the FA route these are the guys that are currently slated to be UFAs at that time. Of course, some of them (like Lamar Jackson) will be extended before then, but as it stands who do you like?

[attachment 15451 Screenshot2026-07-05094309.png]

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Ramsdude
Nope, not ignoring that at all 43. I just think Stafford will play at least 2 more years so drafting a QB high in 2027 would not be a huge need therefore no need to "burn a ton of Draft capitol".

I also think we would be better getting a FA QB to replace Stafford when that time comes.