[Gareth]

Thank you aeneas. I feel like my intuition is pretty good on these things but I'm too lazy to back it up. I appreciate the effort!

[snackdaddy]

No way any would would ever pay Bradford that kind of money. But knowing how the league is when it comes to quarterbacks I can see someone overpaying for his services. Maybe along the lines of 12 millions per year. But it would have to be a team desperate for an NFL starting caliber quarterback.

I don't see the Rams as the team to sign him, but they do fit the desperate for an NFL quarterback thing. Chances are he'll be the most sought after quarterback in free agency, unless by some chance Fitzpatrick hits the open market. I would think Fitz would be the top guy, but who knows what some of these teams are thinking.

agree, i also think the increased salary caps will drive big free agent deals... speaking of fa qbs, who would you rather go after if your weren't the rams, bradford or cousins?

I'd take Cousins. Bradford's injury history is too scary. And its not like he lit it up in Philly anyway. As far as the trade, the only reason he did better than Foles was because Foles was an epic fail. Pretty much every starter in the league did better than Foles.

If Cousins or Fitzpatrick are available I believe the Rams have to push hard for them. If they aren't, then they need to look at the draft. I believe we're a decent quarterback away from being a playoff team. We don't need good quarterback play. Just mediocre would be an improvement.

[snackdaddy]

But maybe Foles didn't turn into Matt Schaub. Maybe the Rams offense turned Foles into Matt Schaub?

I don't know. Maybe the Rams offense isn't conducive to good quarterback play, but Foles just plain lost it. The best example I can come up with was that game, not sure who the team was, where the first play from scrimmage was double fake end around. Foles stepped back in the pocket, looked downfield to an open Britt, held the ball, rolled out and threw it away. Replays showed Britt beat his man by several steps. And that play was designed just for that. Britt had to be his first option. Yet he couldn't see him open.

Foles was ruined by the offensive line maybe, but its not like he had two seasons of battering to get to where he is now. It happened during the Green Bay game. 5th game of the season. He was never the same after that. If he was ever going to get over that hump, I believe the Cincinnati game was his best chance. He got benched the week before, got a second chance after Keenum's injury and turned in possibly his worst game. You would think the perspective of watching from the sidelines woulda helped him. He got even worse. I don't see him as being a serviceable starter in this league. Because he was once a starter, he'll get backup gigs. But I don't ever see him playing well enough to earn a starter's job.

[Elvis]

The best example I can come up with was that game, not sure who the team was, where the first play from scrimmage was double fake end around. Foles stepped back in the pocket, looked downfield to an open Britt, held the ball, rolled out and threw it away. Replays showed Britt beat his man by several steps. And that play was designed just for that. Britt had to be his first option. Yet he couldn't see him open.

That's an example i would use to make my point. That game was in Minnesota with a strong wind blowing in Foles' face. They call that play into the wind? They're just setting Foles up to fail. I''m pretty sure he didn't throw it because he didn't think he could get it there...

[aeneas1]

agree, i also think the increased salary caps will drive big free agent deals... speaking of fa qbs, who would you rather go after if your weren't the rams, bradford or cousins?

I'd take Cousins. Bradford's injury history is too scary. And its not like he lit it up in Philly anyway. As far as the trade, the only reason he did better than Foles was because Foles was an epic fail. Pretty much every starter in the league did better than Foles.

If Cousins or Fitzpatrick are available I believe the Rams have to push hard for them. If they aren't, then they need to look at the draft. I believe we're a decent quarterback away from being a playoff team. We don't need good quarterback play. Just mediocre would be an improvement.

cousins is an interesting story, the skins picked him in the 4th round with their 3rd pick, the same year they went all in on rg3 with their 1st pick, i.e. the skins picked two qbs with their first three picks in 2012, the year they drafted rg3, and the odd strategy seemed to pay off... funny, the skins have gone to two postseason since 2012 with 2 different qbs they picked up in 2012, while the rams? anyhoo cousins, a 4th rounder, is being talked about as a hot fa commodity after just a season and half worth of starts, would be nice to see what our 3rd rounder is all about, wish they would have let him start a game or two last season... oh yeah, i would go cousins over bradford as well, even if bradford wasn't an injury risk, albeit i don't think cousins is all that...

[aeneas1]

speaking of foles, there was reason for optimism after his 4 games, with the rams sitting at 2-2, good qb rating, decent yards per attempt, middle of the pack completion %, albeit average offensive scoring was weak at 16.8 points per game, thanks to two eggs vs was and pitt, but two solid outing against tough sea and ari were, again, reason for optimism, especially with gurley starting to get settled in...

then the wheels came completely off in green bay, 4 picks, including a pick 6, a game in which the rams d held rodgers and the pack offense to just 17 offensive points, it was the beginning of the end...

[OldSchool]

speaking of foles, there was reason for optimism after his 4 games, with the rams sitting at 2-2, good qb rating, decent yards per attempt, middle of the pack completion %, albeit average offensive scoring was weak at 16.8 points per game, thanks to two eggs vs was and pitt, but two solid outing against tough sea and ari were, again, reason for optimism, especially with gurley starting to get settled in...

then the wheels came completely off in green bay, 4 picks, including a pick 6, a game in which the rams d held rodgers and the pack offense to just 17 offensive points, it was the beginning of the end...

I agree, the Packer game was the undoing of Foles his confidence was shot after that. You mention the 4 picks but also the 3 sacks and 12 QB hits he took for us. That was the absolute worst showing for the OLine of the year and it was the turning point for Foles confidence.

[aeneas1]

speaking of foles, there was reason for optimism after his 4 games, with the rams sitting at 2-2, good qb rating, decent yards per attempt, middle of the pack completion %, albeit average offensive scoring was weak at 16.8 points per game, thanks to two eggs vs was and pitt, but two solid outing against tough sea and ari were, again, reason for optimism, especially with gurley starting to get settled in...

then the wheels came completely off in green bay, 4 picks, including a pick 6, a game in which the rams d held rodgers and the pack offense to just 17 offensive points, it was the beginning of the end...

I agree, the Packer game was the undoing of Foles his confidence was shot after that. You mention the 4 picks but also the 3 sacks and 12 QB hits he took for us. That was the absolute worst showing for the OLine of the year and it was the turning point for Foles confidence.

yes, good point, in fact more than a few rams fans are convinced that foles actually suffered an injury in that game that effected his performance going forward, on the helmet to the sternum shot, that wasn't called, i think it was matthews who drilled him... yep, here it is...

[OldSchool]

Yeah Matthews is a dirty SOB. That was a painful game to watch we won the following 2 games vs the Browns and Whiners, Foles was decent those games but we faced very little in the way of defensive opposition. It was the next game against the Vikings defense, again with another cheap shot by Linval Joseph, and he never recovered from the Vikings game.

[Stranger]

Ugh, that hit still pissed me off to no end.



Here's the thread where we discussed that hit in detail
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=737&hilit=matthews