The St. Louis Rams are one of the most interesting teams in the NFL, and that's really saying something for a franchise that hasn't enjoyed a winning season in more than a decade.
Head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead have done a great job of amassing young talent on this roster. The Rams have a fearsome front seven, arguably the best defensive line in the league and a decent set of skill position players. All that has been missing is a quality quarterback.
Fisher hopes those questions have been answered this offseason, but it would never hurt the Rams to get some long-term bases potentially covered. That's why Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is a sensible target in this year's NFL Draft.
"Although the Rams traded for Nick Foles and Case Keenum, there is no guarantee that they have the long-term franchise quarterback on the roster," ESPN Rams reporter Sam Wagoner wrote. "Likewise, none of the team's three current quarterbacks are signed for 2016 (though Keenum will still be under team control). Quarterback is the most important position in the game, and the Rams could use one who could alter the entire offense. Mariota has that ability, at least on the surface. The Heisman Trophy winner has the accurate arm and athleticism to be a difference-maker at the NFL level. Rams coach Jeff Fisher had success in Tennessee with another mobile quarterback in Steve McNair, and though McNair was bigger than Mariota, the idea is the same. Mariota comes with almost no questions from a personality or character standpoint and looks to have all the physical tools to become a franchise passer."
Although Wagoner may be glossing over the difficult transition Mariota must make from a spread offense to a pocket passer, he is right that he and the Rams make a ton of sense together. The problem is, how does St. Louis get their hands on him? The Rams hold the tenth pick in the NFL Draft, an eternity after where Mariota is expected to be selected. Plus, there may be several other teams also vying for his services.
"It seems very likely that Mariota will be gone before the Rams make their pick," Wagoner wrote. "We can't entirely rule out the possibility of the Rams moving up for Mariota if he falls into the six o seven range, but it seems more likely that Mariota will be gone before then. The lack of top quarterback prospects will probably make Mariota too enticing for one of the many quarterback-needy teams. If he does somehow slip, the Rams would have to take a long look, but the Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins, New York jets and Chicago Bears all figure to have their eyes on Mariota, and we still can't rule out a move up by a team like the Cleveland Browns or Philadelphia Eagles."
