The case for the Rams to add a veteran backup QB to replace Sean Mannion
Andrew Ortenberg
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theramswire.usatoday.com]
Sean Mannion appears to have won the “battle” to be Jared Goff’s backup in 2018. Despite Mannion struggling heavily the entire preseason, neither of the players behind him on the roster pushed him at all. Brandon Allen struggled during the preseason, as well, and rookie UDFA Luis Perez was always going to be way too raw and was never a serious candidate to be the backup.
That leaves the Los Angeles Rams with two options. Either roll with Mannion for another season, or look for a veteran on cutdown day. While the coaching staff has professed a begrudging confidence in Mannion, it’s not really believable. Les Snead will almost certainly have his eye on the list of quarterbacks being released in the coming days just in case.
A slew of veterans will become available either as free agents or through trades, and the Rams would be wise to make a move. Simply put, Mannion has done nothing in his three-plus years in the league to show that he could win a regular season game if called upon.
Some fans argue that if a team’s starter goes down, the season is lost anyway and the backup doesn’t matter. This is flawed logic. Just look at the Eagles last season with Carson Wentz and Nick Foles.
Not every injury is a long-term, season-ending one. It’s more likely a quarterback will miss a game or two here or there with a concussion or another minor injury than miss the entire season with a torn ACL.
With the razor-thin margin for error in the NFL, that one game can very easily be the difference between making and missing the playoffs. Last year, only 12 quarterbacks started all 16 games and the Rams can’t afford to be ill-prepared should Goff be forced to miss time.
It’s very possible, if not likely, that Goff misses time at some point. While it’s been reported that the coaching staff is so confident in Sean McVay’s ability to scheme people open that they think he could win with Mannion, there’s no reason not to upgrade if a better quarterback becomes available.
A few names to keep an eye on are Robert Griffin III, AJ McCarron and Tom Savage, among others. Griffin would be the top choice, given his familiarity with McVay, but it’s unclear if the Ravens will part ways with the former Redskin.
The Rams might have the worst and least experienced backup quarterbacks in the entire league. It’s the one glaring hole on an otherwise stacked roster, and Les Snead should do all he can to address it. Don’t be surprised if the Rams’ quarterback room looks much different at the end of the weekend.
