The St. Louis Rams are one of the more interesting teams this offseason. Head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead have done a good job of stockpiling young talent, yet they still haven't found a franchise quarterback. Overall, Rams fans are starved for a winner as the team hasn't enjoyed a season over .500 since 2003.
Right now, there are pieces in place that make this team competitive - remember, they notched wins over the Broncos and the Seahawks last season - but still not enough to make them a consistent threat. What they need is a franchise quarterback.
Sam Bradford is coming off multiple ACL tears and has never really elevated this franchise when healthy. Although he is a decent veteran option, his oversized contract makes him an unappealing choice to lead the Rams. To breakout of their perpetual funk, Jason La Canfor of CBS Sports believes that the Rams should trade up in the NFL draft to select quarterback Marcus Mariota.
"A year after flirting with the idea of taking Johnny Manziel in the late first round, and with Bradford rehabbing from a second-straight ACL tear and unwilling to take a pay cut to this point and scheduled for another $13M in salary, it's time for action in St. Louis," La Canfora wrote. "With owner Stan Kroenke fixated on moving this franchise to Los Angeles in 2016, what better way to do so than with a top quarterback prospect in the fold, a Heisman Trophy winner who dominated the Pac-12 and one who has all the same impeccable character traits and endearing qualities that Bradford has, only fully healthy and at half the price?"
Both inside and outside of the Rams organization, the general belief is that the team is just a quarterback away from contention in the NFC West. Can Mariota be that final missing piece?
Some NFL observers have concerns over how NFL-ready the Oregon QB is and how well he can translate to a more pro-style offense. But Mariota has elite athleticism for the position and off-the-charts intangibles, which could ease St. Louis' doubts.
Looking at the big picture, a handful of seasons floating around .500 will not open up a door to a franchise quarterback. The Rams are not bad enough, as currently constructed, to land a top five pick in the near future. Trading up in the NFL draft is a risky move, but it may be the team's only move.
"If it's too cost prohibitive, so be it," La Canfora wrote. "But it is definitely worth exploring at all costs, and with Bradford already less-than-certain to be back, there is no harm in going all out on a potential trade. Both sides know the other has one eye elsewhere. We're beyond hurt feelings or trying to pretend there is a long-term solution in place at quarterback for St. Louis. Sitting at 10th overall, especially if Mariota does somehow get beyond the top three picks, there could be real value in a trade up."
