3 reasons why the Rams should kick tires of Nate Sudfeld, backup QB role
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ramblinfan.com]
There is a lot of quarterback talk in the NFL nowadays, so much so that even the LA Rams find themselves sucked into the conversation. Big-name veterans who make a living lining up under center are on the move this year at a level only seen about once every ten years. Teddy Bridgewater, Jameis Winston, Tom Brady, Philip Rivers are all looking for new teams. Even the LA Rams backup quarterback Blake Bortles will be signing on with a new team Meanwhile, the 2020 NFL Draft class is loaded with NFL starting-caliber talent as well. A year of quarterback riches, if you have the money to spend, or the early draft pick to use.
The LA Rams have neither.
So the team must be clever, resourceful, and patient. Clever enough not to enter into a bidding war over a free agent, resourceful enough to do the work required to find the right player at the right price. And then the patience to allow enough time to pass to make it all come together.
With so many options at the quarterback position, the LA Rams must quickly sort through the numbers of potential candidates to focus upon the quality few quarterbacks who truly could step up and carry the Rams to victory should starter QB Jared Goff fall to injury.
The not-so-obvious obvious candidate for the Rams vacant backup QB spot is former Eagles backup QB Nate Sudfeld, and here are three reasons why:
Reason I – High ceiling talent
Let’s not look demean ourselves by debating the talent of a career backup. Quarterbacks who backed up Tom Brady, such as Jimmy Garoppolo, can lead a team to the Super Bowl when given the opportunity. And Nate Sudfeld has backed up Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and Nick Foles, and Foles won Super Bowl LII. So his presence on the depth chart means nothing.
Well, let’s back up a moment. With Foles and Sudfeld, the Eagles actually carried three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster rather than demote Sudfeld to the team’s practice squad where other teams could poach him away without compensating the Rams.
Sudfeld is a huge quarterback, even by today’s standards. He stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 227 pounds, Big guy, but can he throw the ball? Well, in a 2017 season finale game against the Dallas Cowboys, he completed 19 out of 23 for 134 yards with backup receivers.
He gets lots of repetitions throughout training camp and in preseason games. Each year, he appears more ready, more polished. Some football experts believe that were he healthy, the Eagles would have defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the 2019 playoff game. But that’s part of the challenge with Sudfeld. Without much NFL Game video, much of the assessment work is faith-based. But there is more to draw upon in making him a free agency target. He has one of the most experienced resumes among NFL backup quarterbacks out there
Reason II -Incredibly experienced
From the moment he arrived at the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, Nate Sudfeld has prepared himself as though he would be starting that week. With so many injuries to the Eagle offense, that is a very wise approach.
The surprise to all came when the Washington Redskins cut him from their team in 2017 (we’ll get back to that later). The Eagles quickly swooped in to sign Sudfeld, and have kept him on the 53-man roster ever since. That translates into all the playoff games, the Super Bowl game, the lights, the cameras, and the action of some of the biggest stages and moments in the NFL.
He’s already “been there, done that”. So having a backup with experiences that rival that of the starting quarterback, a new dynamic is born. Less of the fraternity hazing experiencing carrying shoulder pads off the field, and more of a healthy exchange of ideas. Goff, while a valuable and talented young quarterback, is still a young quarterback. Adding another voice to the choir to add perspective and logic to his game.
He’s been with the Philadelphia Eagles for three seasons and attended their offensive sessions. He has been briefed on NFC East opponents twice a year and knows the Eagles intimately. Since the 2020 NFL schedule pits the LA Rams against NFC East teams, he would be an invaluable asset to help the game plan.
Reason III – That Redskins connection
Head coach Sean McVay shopped for a new offensive coordinator by tapping his former team the Washington Redskins. By doing so, the Rams doubled the connection to Redskins’ offensive players. As pointed out previously, Nate Sudfeld was cut by the team in 2017 – long enough to have interacted with new offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell.
The LA Rams coaching staff does not hesitate to use that Redskins connection when necessary. The team is rumored to be in conversations with tight end Jordan Reed, likely due to the familiarity of working together in the past at Washington. That same connection would likely come in very handy should the Rams fail to sign LT Andrew Whitworth to a new deal.
Now the Rams coaches have a chance to tap that familiarity and insider route to the “real scoop” to learn everything about the former Redskins quarterback Nate Sudfeld.
Many fans do not see the quarterback as a position of need for the Rams this off-season. Well, not until the season begins, and John Wolford is all that stands between the Rams and oblivion. Team needs do not fall in a nice and orderly fashion. Some needs that many fans feel are urgent, may not even be fully addressed until the final 53-man cuts release players which the Rams feel are upgrades.
