Rams have Officially Sign Ex 49ers, Raiders Quarterback as they Prepare to Strengthen the Squad in the Roster
In what has been a whirlwind day for the Los Angeles Rams thanks to the sudden retirement of future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, another big move has been made. This time, on the offensive side of the ball, with the Rams coming to terms on a deal to sign former San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo, according to multiple reports. The deal is reported to be for one year, giving the team some temporary peace of mind behind 36-year-old starter Matthew Stafford.
The Rams, who were in desperate need of a solution behind the aging, albeit tough-as-nails Stafford, were looking to find a way to stabilize the depth of the position this offseason, especially given the departure of last year’s backup, Carson Wentz. In fact, just last month, Sean McVay echoed that sentiment impressing the need for a No. 2 QB. “Right now, we got Matthew Stafford, and really in our minds, we don’t have a backup quarterback that’s on this roster,” said McVay. Suffice it to say, the importance of the backup QB spot was highlighted immensely after the Rams were forced to play without Matthew Stafford vs. the Packers at Lambeau Field.
That day, Brett Rypien was deployed as the starter to disastrous results, in what was one of their worst losses of the season. Fortunately for the Rams, Garoppolo solves all of those issues and more, with 10 years of experience, as well as 81 games and 63 starts under his belt. In that time, Garoppolo spent three years with the Patriots, six years with the 49ers, and one year with the Raiders, throwing for 15,494 yards and 94 touchdowns. He also led his teams on 13 game-winning drives and to 13 comeback wins.
Not to mention, two NFC Championship games (2019 and 2021) and one Super Bowl (2019), losing to the Rams on the way to L.A.’s Super Bowl LVI win. Even with Garoppolo in hand, the Rams will still have plenty of opportunities to take QB in the upcoming draft. In fact, some have even projected the Rams to select Stafford’s heir apparent as early as Round 1. Now, however, that need is a little less dire, making the need for a first-round QB less likely – particularly given the hole left by Aaron Donald.
Still, with Stafford recently turning 36 the Rams could still choose to prioritize the position for the future.
Williams was an expected cap casualty given the Los Angeles Chargers’ salary cap sheet but he is now arguably the best wide receiver left in free agency. Williams suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 and has a lengthy injury history, but there’s no denying the field-stretching ability he has when he’s on the field and healthy.
Offensively, the team could look lean on the run game despite losing Josh Jacobs in free agency to the Green Bay Packers. Zamir White appears set to take on the lead role, though Las Vegas will likely add some depth via the 2024 NFL Draft.
For a rebuilding team like the Raiders, it doesn’t make much sense to sign a health risk like Williams unless it was on a value deal. However, that likely won’t happen as Williams is expected to have multiple suitors who can afford to gamble on him.
