Latest On Rams, Jared Goff
We learned a few days ago that Rams rookie quarterback Jared Goff has been taking more reps with the first-team offense in practice, which would seem to suggest that this year’s No. 1 overall pick could see the field for the first time in his NFL career sooner rather than later. Case Keenum‘s abysmal performance in last week’s loss to the Giants added more fuel to the Goff fire.
Steve Wyche of the NFL Network confirms that Los Angeles is indeed getting Goff ready to make his professional debut. After all, in the wake of the Rams’ three-game losing streak, why wouldn’t the Rams give the first-team reps that Goff has been poaching back to Keenum, unless LA were preparing to usher in the Goff era?
Wyche adds that Goff has made progress in terms of learning the offense, and that the team would have been comfortable inserting him into the game last week should Keenum have suffered an injury. And it’s not as if the Rams have anything to lose by inserting Goff now, as it is difficult to imagine the offense being more ineffective with the California product under center.
Plus, as Vincent Bonsignore in a column for the Orange County Register writes, head coach Jeff Fisher probably needs a strong finish to keep his job. It was not that long ago that an extension for Fisher was considered all but done, but the last three weeks have changed things in a big way. Fisher’s famous proclamation on the latest season of “Hard Knocks” that his team would not finish the 2016 campaign with a mediocre record not only established a baseline record for the Rams, but also set the standard by which Fisher’s future with the club should be measured.
At this point, the player that the Rams traded a king’s ransom to draft might be Fisher’s best shot to meet that standard.
Jared Goff Not Close To Starting, But WIll Take Reps
- Are the Rams gearing up to install No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff as the starter? Coach Jeff Fisher says Case Keenum is still his starting quarterback, but Goff is now taking increased reps with the first team in practice (via the Associated Press). “He’s going to get reps,” Fisher said of Goff. “I don’t feel like Case needs the reps Wednesday and early next week, so Jared will get those reps, which is good.” One might expect Los Angeles to make the change during its bye week, but Fisher says he’s not ready to throw the rookie into the fire. Sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) that Goff still isn’t ready to read defenses or face blitzes, meaning the rookie is likely to sit on the bench for the time being.
Rams Sticking With Case Keenum At QB
The Rams won’t make a quarterback change despite Case Keenum‘s poor performance against the Lions in London today, head coach Jeff Fisher told reporters after the game, per Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com (Twitter links). In fact, Fisher said he was more likely to alter his receiving corps than make a switch at QB.
[RELATED: Los Angeles Rams Depth Chart]
Keenum tossed four interceptions today against New York, including one on Los Angeles’ final offensive play as the club was attempting to drive and tie the game. An obvious miscommunication took place, as wide receiver Brian Quick broke off his route while Keenum threw the ball into the end zone and into the waiting arms of Giants defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Heading into today’s contest, Keenum had completed 62.5% of his passes for 1,417 yards, seven touchdowns, and six picks.
Having dropped three straight games, the Rams are now 3-4 and, pending the results of tonight’s game between the Seahawks and Cardinals, could be well behind Seattle in the NFC West. If Keenum continues to struggle, the calls for Los Angeles to play No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff will only get louder.
Owners More Agreeable To Raiders Move?
As a Raiders relocation vote for a second straight year becomes closer to a reality, the stances of many owners around the game aren’t known, creating an air of mystery around this likely forthcoming decision. But some owners have voiced praise for Mark Davis‘ efforts in securing a deal with Las Vegas, potentially opening the door to a better outcome for the owner’s efforts to leave Oakland.
“I completely respect how he’s handled the process over the last year,” Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt said, via Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com, from the owners’ meetings in Houston. “I know he had to be incredibly disappointed in not being one of the teams selected, at least initially, to go to L.A. And I just think the way he’s handled it speaks to his maturity. I think people respect that he’s created another option for himself in Las Vegas.”
Davis’ increasing trust among his peers has led to this process moving forward instead of better-regarded owners having stonewalled the effort, Breer writes. This represents a contrast from how the son of Al Davis was viewed previously in this group. Most owners did not expect Mark Davis to be able to secure the financing when this venture began earlier this year.
Other owners with whom Breer spoke this week were open to the idea of Davis being the owner who breaks through to the Las Vegas market after there was widespread hesitation among them earlier this year regarding the Raiders owner being the one responsible for reintegrating the Los Angeles market. One of them praised Davis’ ability to be able to score the largest-ever public money contribution for an NFL stadium as evidence he could handle the move and his own market.
“He’s gained a lot of respect in the room,” an NFC team president told Breer, “Who else has come up with $750MM in public funding?”
Hunt, interestingly, was not behind a Raiders/Chargers Carson, Calif., joint move earlier this year, instead preferring only one team go to Los Angeles if a relocation was inevitable. Fellow AFC West owner Dean Spanos‘ opinion on Davis moving may be more predictable since the two nearly struck a deal to share a stadium in Carson.
“He’s earned a great deal of respect amongst the owners,” Spanos said, via Breer. “He’s a committed owner. He loves the business. He’s in this for the long haul. And I think he’s gonna be successful in Las Vegas if he gets there, which I think he will. It remains to be seen obviously, but that’s my opinion — he’ll get there.”
Breer still notes a small group of owners are with Jerry Jones and his pro-Vegas stance and a small group have voiced opposition to the Raiders moving from a well-regarded market to a questionable one. But there’s enough unknown viewpoints to could swing the final tally.
The MMQB scribe adds Oakland — which has lost Davis’ interest even as the NFL and city civic leaders remain in talks — is expected to make another push with the help of the NFL, which is still believed to prefer the Bay Area to Vegas. The league plans to conduct a market study of its own to follow up on one Davis conducted recently regarding Vegas’ viability as a long-term NFL city.
Additionally, owners see a Raiders-to-Vegas move as a way to protect the Rams’ brand in Los Angeles since the Raiders have a substantial footprint in L.A. compared to the Chargers, who remain in front of the Raiders in line to move there should their downtown San Diego stadium venture fail. The Bolts having only played in L.A. in 1960 leaves them well behind the Silver and Black in terms of prospective fan support in the city. Davis hasn’t mentioned Los Angeles as an option for the Raiders in months, having been successful in generating a route to Vegas, but that would still theoretically be an option if the Chargers balked and owners voted Davis’ latest relocation proposal down.
Rams Tried Out Two DBs
- Defensive backs Charles Gaines and Demetrius McCray worked out for the Rams last week, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter).
Case Keenum To Hold Off Jared Goff Longer?
- The Rams‘ Week 8 bye following their London trip represented a reasonable window to make the change from Case Keenum to Jared Goff, but the stopgap veteran’s performance in Sunday’s loss to the Lions could delay that timetable, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times writes. In completing 27-of-32 passes for 321 yards and three touchdown passes, Keenum broke Jim Everett’s franchise record by hitting on 19 straight passes today.
Practice Squad Updates: 10/13/16
Thursday’s practice squad transactions from around the NFL:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Robertson Daniel
- Cut: G Jarell Broxton
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Steve Longa
- Cut: LB Zaviar Gooden
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DL Morgan Fox
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Michael Hunter
- Placed On P-Squad IR: DB Donte Deayon
Rams Waive Morgan Cox
- In need of a roster opening after claiming cornerback Dwayne Gratz, the Rams have waived defensive lineman Morgan Cox, per Gary Myers of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
Rams Claim CB Dwayne Gratz
The Rams have claimed cornerback Dwayne Gratz off waivers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Gratz was waived by the Jaguars earlier this week. 
Jacksonville cut Gratz on Monday in order to make room for fellow cornerback Aaron Colvin who had been serving a four-game suspension for a PED violation. Gratz, a UConn product, was in his fourth year with the Jags. From 2013-2015, he appeared in 37 games with 25 starts. This year, he saw time in three contests before getting dropped.
After starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson was forced to leave Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, Gratz may be counted on to provide the team with depth.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Cut Coty Sensabaugh
Barely a month into his first Rams season, Coty Sensabaugh will head back to unaffiliated status within the NFL. The Rams cut the recently signed cornerback to make room for the signing of defensive lineman Morgan Fox off their practice squad, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com tweets.
Sensabaugh started in two games for Los Angeles this season and played in three, doing so after signing a three-year deal to come over from Tennessee in the offseason.
Signed for $14.5MM across that span, Sensabaugh will earn $4.5MM for his time with the Rams this season, $1MM via fully guaranteed base salary and $3.5MM via roster bonus, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter). He will also collected a $1MM roster bonus next March, per Caplan (on Twitter). The 27-year-old corner was playing on a $4.85MM cap number this season for the Rams.
A fourth-round Titans pick in 2012, Sensabaugh worked his way into Tennessee’s starting lineup in 2015. He started 15 games last season to command the middling sum in free agency. He made 58 tackles, two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown last season. This year with the Rams, he became a healthy scratch by Week 4, playing behind E.J. Gaines and Lamarcus Joyner.
Jeff Fisher attributed Sensabaugh’s healthy-scratch designation to the team needing more linemen available, and Fox will further that notion. Robert Quinn, William Hayes and Michael Brockers sat out practice Friday and are questionable for Week 5.
Fox joined the Rams as a UDFA out of Division II Colorado State-Pueblo this offseason.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.