C.J. Stroud is a great example of how difficult it is to evaluate a QB. He didn't come out well on the "intelligence" tests. Clearly that bothered the Panthers, but didn't bother Houston. Stroud is not very big.....kind of Bulger in size. That worries some teams.
Penix may or may not become a good Pro QB . His body may or may not hold up. College QBs can have below par games just like Pro QBs can. They can also be judged by their best games, which is not really indicative of what their typical performance is. So how do you choose one?
I'm not about to say I have any idea how to evaluate a college QB to see if they will be an NFL success. I'm saying that IMO it is a mistake to spend much draft capital to draft one. I do NOT think you need a Superstar QB to win the Superbowl.....just a very good one. And finding a Superstar in that position is a pure crapshoot.
IMO, while Superstar QBs don't often hit the market, sometimes they do. Therefore, you can't blame the Jets for going after Rogers. Or Tampa for going after Brady. Or the Rams going after Stafford (and I understand that perhaps Superstar is too strong for Stafford).
Overall, I think teams need to look anywhere from the bottom of round 1 to round 3 for a QB simply because the team puts less pressure on the QB and on themselves to practically guarantee a star starting QB.
I think Green Bay really has the right approach. Take a QB that you think has all the right attributes (however you judge them) and have him sit behind a really good starter for 2 full seasons. Give that young person a chance to really understand the Pro game, the system you have, etc. Yes, you occasionally get a Stroud that immediately performs, but nobody knows with any certainty. Pure luck.
When it comes to the Rams, I would try to extend Stafford to 3 more years. He remains a great QB, and because he is a pocket QB his body has not taken the beating that a Russell Wilson or Lamar Jackson takes. I have no doubts that barring some severe injuries, and if he wants to, Stafford can play just as long Tom Brady did.
If the Rams can determine that the fire still burns, and that his family is OK with more years playing, then hang onto him as long as you can. The odds of getting another one as good as him are small.
I would also try to hang onto Wentz. Wentz has been a winning QB. Now that he's not played regularly for awhile, he's had a chance to evaluate himself and his game, and to let his body fully heal. Perhaps with maturity and good coaching, some of his flaws can be corrected and he can be a good starting QB again. He's nearly 5 years younger than Stafford, and he is a great insurance policy. The only real issues for me are if Wentz can mentally/emotionally accept a back up role for another year or so, accept a salary that is affordable for the Rams, and is a good locker room presence that the team sees is willing to put in the work, accept coaching, and improve in some areas.
Bottom line, unless the Rams sense that Stafford has only 1 or 2 years left, they should NOT draft a QB in the first 3 rounds because it's waste of a high pick. But, if they do think Stafford is near the end, they absolutely should draft a QB somewhere in the first 3 rounds and commit to trying to develop that pick into a starter.
