Nick Foles was declared the No. 1 quarterback in St. Louis by Rams head coach Jeff Fisher shortly after the team traded for him earlier this offseason. But just because Foles is the starter for 2015 doesn't mean the Rams aren't still looking to upgrade under center.
Fisher declined to respond to a question regarding St. Louis' offseason search for quarterbacks a few weeks ago. However, he was a bit chattier when asked the same question last week at the NFL's owners meetings.
"As we've said, we could potentially draft one," Fisher said. "No, the Nick trade will have no bearing over what we do in the draft."
Right now, the Rams have Foles, Case Keenum and Austin Davis in house for the 2015 season. But both Foles and Davis will be unrestricted free agents next year and none of the QBs currently in St. Louis have proven to be sure fire long-term answers.
Foles will obviously get the opportunity to start in St. Louis and convince the Rams that he is a franchise quarterback worth building around. But because of the uncertainty surrounding the position, the Rams would be wise to draft a young quarterback who could eventually become a starter just in case.
The top two QB prospects in this year's draft are Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Winston is all but a lock to be selected with the first pick in the draft, but Mariota could be had if the Rams are willing to trade up with the Tennessee Titans.
"They're unique," Fisher said of the quarterbacks. "They're rare. They've clearly proven that they can win games. Marcus is slightly more mobile than Winston is, but Winston makes all the throws. They're both very impressive to watch.
"We'll see. Again, I think it's highly unlikely that either one of them will get to us (at No. 10). They're both very talented players."
The Rams have done a good job amassing a lot of young talent in recent drafts thanks to the RGIII trade. That collection of youth would help mitigate the loss of draft picks it would take to move up the board for Mariota. Several NFL observers believe the Rams are just a competent quarterback away from contention in the NFC West.
Mariota also comes from a spread offense in Oregon, which means he may have to sit a year to acclimate to the NFL before seeing significant playing time. Fisher would feel comfortable doing that with Foles in place and healthy.
If the Rams don't want to trade up then Baylor's Bryce Petty, UCLA's Brett Hundley and Colorado State's Garrett Grayson are all possibilities in the other rounds.
