One position that hasn’t gotten much attention for the Los Angeles Rams this offseason is backup quarterback. Jared Goff is the unquestioned starter, but Blake Bortles is still a free agent and John Wolford is the only other quarterback on the roster.
The Rams could’ve gone out and added someone like Colt McCoy to back Goff up, and they could still re-sign Bortles, but they’ve made no such moves. And while there’s a long way to go before the season begins, their inactivity on the quarterback front is a vote of confidence for Wolford.
Sean McVay said Tuesday on a conference call that the Rams are still looking to upgrade their quarterback room, but they’re more than comfortable with Wolford as the No. 2 guy.
“I think you’re always looking to upgrade that position, but John Wolford is a guy that we’re very excited about. We feel like he is more than capable of continuing to ascend and develop. I think his skill set and just the way that he’s wired above the neck are great traits and things that we look for from that quarterback position,” McVay said. “I think what’s just as important is the rapport that he has with Jared because it starts with Jared and then making sure that there’s a good comfortable relationship with whoever that person is as the backup.
“You never know exactly how this thing sorts itself out, but if you said, ‘We’re going into a season and John Wolford is your backup, and God forbid something happens to Jared, do you think he can come in operate and have you function as an offense?’ The answer is absolutely.”
Wolford has very limited experience in the NFL with last season being his first. He spent some time in the AAF and looked good against lesser competition, but his reps against NFL-level talent is minimal.
Last preseason, he attempted 44 passes across four games, completing 25 of them (56.8%) with three touchdowns. His mobility and playmaking ability off-script is impressive, though, which allows him to succeed when a play breaks down.
He certainly won’t be crowned the backup right now and the Rams still have a lot of time to add some competition, potentially this weekend in the draft. They probably won’t draft one earlier than the fourth round, but don’t be surprised if they use their sixth- or seventh-rounder on a QB.