Is Nick Foles a good quarterback or just another guy?
That's the question the St. Louis Rams will have to answer this season and for the sake of head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead, it better be the former. The Rams haven't enjoyed a winning season since 2002 and since Fisher and Snead took over in 2012, St. Louis is just 20-27-1. One more losing season will likely mean the end of their tenures with the Rams.
Foles came back down to earth last season after an unsustainably efficient 2013 season. The Philadelphia Eagles had reportedly soured on him even before he broke his collarbone. Assuming Foles can't duplicate his 2013 season, the Rams will be searching for a quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Who will be the best candidates available? ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. list four QBs in his Big Board for 2016.
9. Jared Goff, Cal
"The system at Cal is going to produce numbers, but Goff's 35 touchdowns passes against seven interceptions are good anywhere. The big sell here is a big-time arm. Goff can drill the ball down the field and into tight windows with ease, and he has strong movement skills and anticipation for a player with good length who seems to see the whole field. Goff's totals are going to be significant, so the question of whether the skills translate quickly will be the key question"
11. Christian Hackenberg, Penn State
"After a freshman season that showed tons of promise and also matched the considerably hype, Hackenberg struggled mightily as a true sophomore behind a bad offensive line - and through what could not have been an easy coaching transition, as outgoing coach Bill O'Brien has a superb reputation among quarterbacks. There is no question 2015 will be a scrutinized season for a kid with obvious NFL tools."
15. Connor Cook, Michigan State
"It's more about tools than polish at this point, but Cook has a quick release with enough zip down the field and shows well-above-average mobility for a player his size (6-4, 220). On the downside, he often doesn't have his feet set when he throws, and the accuracy suffers. I think Cook made a good call to come back, because there's a lot to like but plenty to work on."
25. Cardale Jones, Ohio State
"As a 'stock,' this is as volatile as it gets. Jones has some great physical tools and a dream stretch of games to build on. But he's also not guarantee to be a starter in 2015, and not starting would change everything, because those three games then become less of a dream stretch and more of 'just three games.' In a nutshell...Jones needs polish, which means reps. So he belongs here if he wins the job. If not, we need to back off a bit on the draft expectations."
