While fans of the Los Angeles Rams are still celebrating the selection of quarterback Jared Goff at the top of this year's NFL draft, there are some on L.A.'s roster who aren't so thrilled with the move.
Veteran signal-caller Nick Foles, who was active and present when offseason workouts began on April 18, has not participated in any voluntary team-run training sessions since Goff was taken with the No. 1 overall pick. Foles did not even show up for the start of voluntary organized team activities on Tuesday due to the Rams' decision to draft Goff, according to a recent report.
The Rams traded Sam Bradford for Nick Foles last offseason and promptly signed the latter to a two-year, $24.5 million extension that included almost $13.8 million in guaranteed money. Unfortunately, Foles did not bring the stability to the quarterback position that general manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher were hoping for.
Foles started the first nine games but was benched in favor of Case Keenum. In that time, Foles throw only seven touchdowns against six interceptions. He also lost five fumbles over L.A.'s disappointing 4-5 start last year.
Overall, the Rams' passing game finished the 2015 season last in yards (2,805), touchdowns (11), yards per game (175) and passer rating (74.1).
The 2012 third-rounder did impress in spurts during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2013, Foles completed 64.0 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,891 yards with 27 touchdowns against just two interceptions. However, he came back down to earth in his final year with Philly, completing 59.8 percent of his passes while throwing for 13 scores against 10 picks in eight games.
Foles received a $6 million roster bonus earlier this offseason and carries a guaranteed base salary of $1.75 million in 2016. While it's possible that the Rams trade him sometime this year, it looks as if Foles will remain on the roster, at least throughout the offseason.
The fifth-year pro cannot be fined for his current absence since the workouts are voluntary. As of now, he has not requested a trade and is expected to re-join the team when mandatory mini-camps commence in mid-June.
