Clayton Tune would be a solid developmental QB for L.A. Rams

[www.turfshowtimes.com] Clayton Tune would be a solid developmental QB for L.A. Rams
The Rams need a backup QB, could Clayton Tune be the answer?

By CliffJackson@CliffJacksonn Apr 24, 2023, 12:28pm CDT

Tulsa v Houston
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images
Last season, the Rams suffered from a plethora of injuries at nearly every position all year long, ultimately derailing their campaign to defend their Super Bowl title.

One of those positions that was impacted by injury was the QB spot, as quarterback Matthew Stafford was forced to miss nearly half of the season due to injuries. Once Stafford went down, an already struggling offense turned into a downright horrendous offense, with backup QBs John Wolford and Bryce Perkins unable to provide the Rams with any sort of serviceable play.

It really was not Wolford’s nor Perkins’ fault, simply because they possess flaws in their games that do not allow them to play at the NFL level with any sort of consistency, especially in an offense that was already struggling up to the point of when they were needed to step in.

With that being said, neither Wolford or Perkins are under contract at the moment, leaving Stafford as the lone quarterback that is currently rostered. With the NFL Draft fast approaching, it is almost guaranteed that L.A. will select a QB to backup their aging QB1, and there is one man in particular that the Rams should be focused on.


That man is Clayton Tune.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FEB 04 Reese’s Senior Bowl
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Tune, who was a four-year starter at the University of Houston, is a certified gunslinger, as he logged a whopping 916 pass attempts over the past two seasons in college. With those 916 attempts in his junior and senior seasons combined, Tune completed 67.8% of his passes for 7,618 yards, 70 TDs and just 20 INTs. In his final season at Houston, he also led the team in rushing with 544 yards on the ground with five rushing touchdowns.

Not only is the statistical production there, the film backs up the numbers as well. Here are a few clips of Tune at Houston:

Clayton Tune, a thread. pic.twitter.com/majJ5srmsg

— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) April 14, 2023
In this clip, Tune shows solid pocket presence while keeping his eyes downfield, stepping up amidst pressure and delivering an accurate deep ball despite knowing he is going to take a hit.

Does a good job evading the pressure and gets off a nice throw on the move.

He had the best pressure grade in the class, per PFF. pic.twitter.com/nHjORJHWyV

— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) April 14, 2023
Clearly Tune possesses an innate ability to feel pressure and evade, extending the play in the above clip to make a nice throw on the move. As noted in the linked tweet, he was PFF’s highest graded QB in the class against pressure.

Shows off some zip on this throw. pic.twitter.com/jzJcuacEjQ

— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) April 14, 2023
In this clip, it may look like a simple throw, but arm strength is vital in terms of finding success in the NFL. Tune shows some solid anticipation and delivers a rope between the numbers to keep the chains moving.

Clayton Tune is a QB prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.81 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 18 out of 915 QB from 1987 to 2023. [t.co] pic.twitter.com/Ps8ZNiXOBz

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 21, 2023
While not a clip, this shows the overall athleticism and physical intangibles that Clayton Tune brings to the table. As shown above, his score of 9.81 ranked 18th out of 915 QBs... SINCE 1987! Clearly, Tune possesses more than just numbers and tape, physically/athletically he is as impressive as they come.

The knocks on Tune, according to NFL.com, are mainly based on his ability to scan through his reads quickly, as well as some technical issues with his feet when he is moved off his spot. With that being said, those are things that can be developed when you are not expected to start, and learning from a QB like Matthew Stafford can go a long way for Tune.

As a four-year starter, Tune has a ton of playing experience heading into the league, going though some highest of highs as well as the lowest of lows throughout his career. Such experience is very beneficial when it comes to making the jump to the pros, which I see as an advantage for Tune as he gets ready to take the next step.

Tune’s anticipated draft position is somewhere in rounds 4-7, well within reach of the Rams draft selections on day three of the festivities. If Los Angeles wants to snag a QB to learn behind Stafford and possibly become a future starter, Clayton Tune is the man for the job.