Sunday, August 24, 2014

St. Louis Rams QB situation

After the breaking news that Sam Bradford has torn the ACL in his left knee for a second consecutive year the Rams have to be wondering who their QB will be this year. On the current roster they have Shaun Hill and Austin Davis, a smart career backup and a young gunslinger. Of course there will be the people calling for Tim Tebow or Jamarcus Russell or <insert Quarterback who wasn't given a "fair chance" here>., but to me there are only three realistic options at QB. The three options that make the most sense for the Rams are; Shaun Hill, Austin Davis, or trading for Mark Sanchez.

 If the Rams choose to roll with Shaun Hill I think they will probably be mediocre at best, much as Shaun Hill is. He has never been a great QB, but he is a savvy veteran and knows what to do and how to run an offense. To me, Shaun Hill is a spare tire, he'll get you through a rough patch, but you're not going to go very far with him. He has all of the knowledge and experience in the world, but not the ability needed to be a good QB. Ultimately Shaun Hill is the most likely option, at least to start the season, but is not necessarily the best option.

 On the flip side they could allow the job to go to Austin Davis, the young gunslinger out of Southern Mississippi. Much like his fellow Golden Eagle alum Brett Favre, Austin Davis is always exciting. Every time I've watched this kid play I'm impressed. He has all of the tools needed to run the West Coast offense, and ever since college has known how to take what the defense gives and progress through his reads. There were questions of arm strength when he came into the league, but I've never seen any issue with zip or power on the ball from him. He is deceptively athletic, able to move in the pocket and run when needed. I doubt he will be named the starter, at least not to begin the season, but he would certainly be a boom or bust type of pick and would be fun to watch.

 And last but not least, they could trade for a QB from another team. In my mind, and in the mind of others as well, the most likely candidate for a trade would be Mark "Butt Fumble" Sanchez. Despite all of the criticism that Sanchez has been subject to over the last few years, he has looked great with the Eagles this pre-season (25/31 [80.6% Completion Percentage] for 281 yards with 2 TD, and only 1 INT, a 112.5 QB rating). The connection with Rams OC Brian Schottenheimer (Sanchez's former OC in New York) is there as well, with Jeff Fisher even admitting they had interest in signing Sanchez in the off season. I'm not sure if this could actually happen, but I think it would probably be the best option for the Rams going forward. Before all of the Tim Tebow drama in New York, Sanchez went to two straight AFC Championship games, and was steadily improving as a QB. I hope the Rams go this direction, as I would personally love to see Mark Sanchez become a successful NFL QB again.

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