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The Rams picked Cal’s Jared Goff with the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. 

 The Rams returned to Los Angeles in January. Three months later, they have a new face for their franchise.

 Jared Goff was selected first overall in the 2016 NFL Draft on Thursday night, ending weeks of speculation that started when the Rams traded up for the pick on April 14. Then again, this pick hardly comes as a surprise.

 While Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher did not tip the team's hand publicly, it became clear over time that Goff was the selection. It caps a remarkable draft season for the California product, who was not always seen as a surefire top-10 pick.

 Goff does not have some of the traditional hallmarks of a No. 1 overall pick. He didn't rack up wins in college, and he doesn't have an absolute cannon for an arm. But Goff earned this moment in the sun by breaking records in three years as a starter while displaying many of the traits NFL teams crave.

 NFL quarterbacks are always under pressure. And Goff excels at making difficult throws with defenders bearing down on him. Cal's often overmatched offensive line helped Goff show off his excellent pocket presence and ability to buy more time to throw the ball. He can make big plays under pressure, and goes through his reads quickly. This ability to process information is one common trait we see among top-level quarterbacks in this post-Peyton Manning era. Accuracy is another key indicator of NFL success, and Goff is on target with the short and mid-level throws that keep the chains moving.

 In many ways, Goff feels like the "safer" selection opposed to North Dakota State product Carson Wentz. Goff looks more NFL-ready, and should have a chance to start the Rams' first home game in Los Angeles since 1994. But there is nothing safe about this move for the Rams. Snead and Fisher are pinning their football futures on Goff, and the success of this pick will help determine the early success of the Rams' reintroduction to the L.A. market.

Goff will not be asked to carry the Rams on his own, but there are major offensive questions. The team drafted five offensive linemen last year and is an uneven unit overall. Running back Todd Gurley is an incredible foundation piece to build around, but the Rams' wide receiver group is full of secondary options without many natural starters. The tight end position remains a big need.

 Fisher will count on the Rams' defense, especially their strong defensive line, to keep games low-scoring. But the Rams lost some key pieces in the secondary and they have fewer draft picks to fill holes after giving up two second-round picks and a third-round pick from this draft alone. The Rams also gave up a first- and third-round pick next season, so this is a trade that will hamstring the Rams on draft days for years. None of that matters if Goff is a franchise quarterback. That's how valuable the position is, and how hard it has been for Fisher and Snead to find a workable solution with the Rams. Jared Goff will become synonymous with pro football in Los Angeles in the next few years. Snead and Fisher hope that remains true for the next 15 years.

 Click here to see the initial interview with Goff after he was picked.

 In the weeks leading up to the 2016 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams proved effective in masking the player they’d select with the first overall pick. We knew, however, that they’d be choosing between quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. And on Thursday evening, the Rams made it official, taking Cal’s Goff number one overall. All signs indicated the Rams were leaning Goff’s way, but there was a sliver of uncertainty due to the team’s reticence regarding the matter. Regardless, the Rams now have their franchise QB for years to come.

Goff will join Case Keenum, Nick Foles, and Sean Mannion on the Rams’ depth chart, and it remains to be seen how quickly the rookie can work his way to the top. It also remains to be seen who, from last year’s trio, sticks around.

But for now, we celebrate adding a much-needed piece to the Rams’ offense. The bold move (trading up with the Titans) to address the QB position - which has something of a revolving door in recent years - finally provides the team and fanbase with optimism, and hopefully stability, in the (very near) future.

This marks the first time the Rams have taken a QB first overall since 2010, when they drafted Sam Bradford. And much like Bradford, expectations for Goff are going to be extremely high. Jeff Fisher’s Rams desperately need to get over the sub-.500 hump, and they’ll need to get Goff up to speed quickly if they’re hoping to make a playoff run.

But there will be some that think the Rams may have selected the wrong guy, and that Wentz - based on his experience in a pro style offense and potential/ceiling - was the QB the Rams ultimately should’ve taken. Time will tell.

The Rams moved up in the draft to take the top QB, and that’s exactly what they did. We can, and will, speculate for days, weeks, and months to come, but the Rams got their guy. He’s the most NFL-ready prospect, and could very well be called upon early in the 2016 season. Whether Wentz is the better player in 5 years remains to be seen, but let’s face it...this regime needs to start winning, and they need to start winning quickly. Jared Goff can help them achieve that.

It wasn’t the determining factor in their decision to select Jared Goff with the first pick of the NFL draft, but the Rams did like the way Goff, who started for three years at California, helped the Bears improve from 1-11 in 2013, to 5-7 in 2014 to 8-5 last season, with a victory over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.

“He became the face of Cal as a freshman and went 1-11,” Rams General Manager Les Snead said. “Then you saw a progression in his play, and the play of others, the team, and it consummated with a bowl-game win.

“Being able to go through 1-11 and bounce back and put the thing on his back … it’s similar to what you have to go through in the NFL, though we’re not planning on going 1-11.”

Goff completed 60.3% of his passes for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a freshman. His touchdown-interception ratio improved dramatically as a sophomore, when he completed 62.1% of his passes for 3,973 yards, 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Goff passed for 4,719 yards with 43 touchdowns and a 64.5% completion rate as a junior in 2015, including 467 yards and six touchdown passes in the bowl-game win.

Goff has enough arm strength to complete deep balls down the sideline and the touch and accuracy to complete short- and medium-range passes with efficiency. And he showed toughness and excellent mobility as a freshman at Cal, when he played behind an overmatched offensive line.

“It’s definitely something I carry with me forever,” Goff said of that 1-11 freshman season at Cal. “I gained a lot of character that year and a lot of maturity and resilience. It’s something that’s going to help me along the way.”

Only one QB is going to be safe the rest of the 2016 offseason.

The Los Angeles Rams now have a Franchise QB. A QB of the Future. A new savior for LA. Call him what you will, new Rams QB Jared Goff - for better or worse - carries the hope of Rams fans on his shoulders. Something that Nick Foles and Case Keenum passed around like a hot potato in 2015.

Looking forward, this means that any QB not named Goff in 2016 will be fighting for their roster spots. What options do the Rams have with their other three QBs - aside from cutting them?

Case Keenum
With Goff likely needing some time to acclimate from Cal's "Bear Raid" offense to the Rams ground and pound attack. Keenum is the likely starter as Goff is groomed for the starting gig. That being said, it's possible that Keenum could fail to beat Goff out in the preseason.

Keenum has already been linked to the Denver Broncos earlier this offseason, but the Rams 1st round tender kept him in LA. If the offensive staff feels strongly enough about Goff, those trade talks may be rekindled.

Nick Foles
Foles is a sitting duck at this point. While I believe he's a better QB than Keenum, Jeff Fisher obviously feels differently. The time to cut Foles was before paying him a $6M. Now if the Rams want to save anything on his 2016 cap hit, they'll limited to the trade market. A market - according to Shefter - contains "several teams'. If there's a time to trade Foles, it's this weekend.

Sean Mannion
I honestly feel like Mannion has the best chance at sticking around of the three. He was drafted as a developmental prospect last season and continues to fill that role. You have to wonder if the Rams are taking the approach the Redskins took when drafting Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins in 2012. Sure RG3 was the QB of the future and all that, but they drafted a backup plan as well. If he sticks with the team, Mannion could eventually rise to be a potential long-term backup for Goff.



Twitter Reacts To Los Angeles Rams Drafting Cal QB Jared Goff
Well, the long wait and speculation is over: the Rams have selected Cal QB Jared Goff with the first overall selection. How did the NFL media, analysts and Rams players react on Twitter?
Mike Silver, who has a close relationship with the Rams' front office and is a Cal guy, tweets:

Jim Thomas:

Mike Greenberg:

Bryan Fischer:

Christopher Hansen:

Will Brinson:

Uncle Chaps:

Jim Thomas:

Jeff Darlingon:

Spencer Hall:

Andrew Brandt:

Dan Kadar:

Jack Wang (LA Live selection):

OG Roger Saffold:

Former Rams CB Janoris Jenkins:

S TJ McDonald:

P Johnny Hekker:

WR Tavon Austin:

MLB Alec Ogletree:

DE Robert Quinn:

QB Jared Goff:

Rand Getlin:

Nick Wagoner:

Myles Simmons:

Skip Bayless:

Todd McShay:

RB Todd Gurley:

WR Stedman Bailey:


Here's how things stack up for the Los Angeles Rams after Round 1 of the 2016 NFL Draft.

 Well, it came and it went, but that was to be expected.

 The Los Angeles Rams kicked off the 2016 NFL Draft by selecting Cal QB Jared Goff #1 overall and then watched as, well...chaos ruled the day.

 Ohio St. DE Joey Bosa followed the expected Goff-Carson Wentz duo at the top and it was off and running from there. Actually though, the chaos started before the Rams even had a chance to take Goff with a video showing Laremy Tunsil ripping hits from a gas mask bong on social media. Not a great strategy to boost your draft stock, in case there was any doubt on that one. Bosa was followed by the Dallas Cowboys selecting his college teammate, RB Ezekiel Elliott.

 Here was how the round played out:
Pick (Rd) Pick (Ovr) NFL Team Player POS School
1 1 Los Angeles Rams (via Tennessee Titans) Jared Goff QB Cal
2 2 Philadelphia Eagles (via Cleveland Browns) Carson Wentz QB North Dakota St.
3 3 San Diego Chargers Joey Bosa DE Ohio St.
4 4 Dallas Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott RB Ohio St.
5 5 Jacksonville Jaguars Jalen Ramsey DB Florida St.
6 6 Baltimore Ravens Ronnie Stanley OT Notre Dame
7 7 San Francisco 49ers DeForest Buckner DE Oregon
8 8 Tennessee Titans (via Cleveland Browns via Philadelphia Eagles via Miami Dolphins) Jack Conklin OT Michigan St.
9 9 Chicago Bears (via Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Leonard Floyd OLB Georgia
10 10 New York Giants Eli Apple CB Ohio St.
11 11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via Chicago Bears) Vernon Hargreaves III CB Florida
12 12 New Orleans Saints Sheldon Rankins DT Louisville
13 13 Miami Dolphins (via Philadelphia Eagles) Laremy Tunsil OT Ole Miss
14 14 Oakland Raiders Karl Joseph FS West Virginia
15 15 Cleveland Browns (via Tennessee Titans via Los Angeles Rams) Corey Coleman WR Baylor
16 16 Detroit Lions Taylor Decker OT Ohio St.
17 17 Atlanta Falcons Keanu Neal S Florida
18 18 Indianapolis Colts Ryan Kelly C Alabama
19 19 Buffalo Bills Shaq Lawson DE Clemson
20 20 New York Jets Darron Lee OLB Ohio St.
21 21 Houston Texans (via Washington) Will Fuller WR Notre Dame
22 22 Washington (via Houston Texans) Josh Doctson WR TCU
23 23 Minnesota Vikings Laquon Treadwell WR Ole Miss
24 24 Cincinnati Bengals William Jackson III CB Houston
25 25 Pittsburgh Steelers Artie Burns CB Miami
26 26 Denver Broncos (via Seattle Seahawks) Paxton Lynch QB Memphis
27 27 Green Bay Packers Kenny Clark DT UCLA
28 28 San Francisco 49ers (via Kansas City Chiefs) Joshua Garnett G Stanford
29 N/A New England Patriots Selection forfeited due to Deflategate
30 29 Arizona Cardinals Robert Nkemdiche DT Ole Miss
31 30 Carolina Panthers Vernon Butler DT Louisiana Tech
32 31 Seattle Seahawks (via Denver Broncos) Germain Ifedi OT Texas A&M

 And here's what the Rams are looking at now for their 2016 NFL Draft class:
Round Overall In Round Player POS School
1 #1 #1 Jared Goff QB Cal
4 #110 #12
4 #113 #15
6 #177 #2
6 #190 #15

 We'll have to see tomorrow night if the Rams try to find a way to trade back into the Day 2 action or if they'll continue to make the long wait until #110 on Saturday.


A satirical look at more than 75 years of Football's Rams history, combined with discussions of American Exceptionalism and almost 50 years of personal experience in the life of a Rams Fan. The history parallels and intertwines life to form a humorous, yet serious look at American History, World History, an American Footballteam, and Political Science.

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