Quarterback is way down on the Rams’ list of priorities this offseason, and likely for the next few years, too. Jared Goff is going to be under center for the foreseeable future, but Los Angeles is still in the market for a quarterback to sit behind him on the depth chart.
Sean Mannion previously held that role before Blake Bortles was signed last offseason, but neither player is on the roster now. Goff and John Wolford are the only quarterbacks still on the team as Bortles continues to await an opportunity on the free-agent market.
There are a number of options out there for the Rams, and another just became available. The Patriots released Cody Kessler this week in a somewhat surprising move, making him a free agent. Might the Rams be interested in signing the quarterback who the Jaguars turned to after benching Bortles in 2018?
While Kessler isn’t the best option available, considering his price and fit in Sean McVay’s system, he would make sense for the Rams. Kessler should be cheaper than Bortles and while not as mobile or athletic, his mechanics are better.
He offers a better base with which to work than Bortles does and isn’t as prone to turnovers. In 17 career games, including eight for the embarrassing 1-15 Browns in 2016, Kessler has thrown eight touchdown passes and five interceptions. He’s completed 64.2% of his passes for 2,215 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per attempt in his career.
Obviously, stats don’t always match what’s put on tape, but the Rams could do worse than Kessler. He’s mobile and has a fairly quick release, which is the opposite of Bortles. What he doesn’t have is a wildly strong arm, but it’s strong enough to make it as a backup.
And with how frequently the Rams like to roll their quarterbacks out of the pocket, it would suit Kessler’s skill set nicely. He’s accurate enough to hit receivers on short and intermediate passes, which is the bread and butter of McVay’s scheme.
He wants his quarterbacks to get the ball into his receivers’ hands with room to work, maximizing yards after the catch. If Kessler can prove capable of doing that, he’d make a viable backup to Goff at a low cost.
He shouldn’t be the Rams’ first choice, but he should be an option, nonetheless.