Rams' ties to former first-round pick hint at possible direction for life after Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford won't be around forever. The Los Angeles Rams know that. For the first time since drafting Jared Goff, the Rams will be picking in the first round. A quarterback could be on the table. Or the Rams could look in a different direction – Zach Wilson.  With Wilson's struggles during his time with the […]

Add as preferred source on Google
Dec 10, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) passes against the Baltimore Ravens during the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports
Image via Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports

Matthew Stafford won't be around forever. 

The Los Angeles Rams know that. For the first time since drafting Jared Goff, the Rams will be picking in the first round. A quarterback could be on the table. Or the Rams could look in a different direction – Zach Wilson. 

With Wilson's struggles during his time with the New York Jets, the team will most likely decline his fifth-year option. He will then become a free agent after the 2024 NFL season. To reclaim some value, the Jets could trade Wilson to the Rams for something in the ballpark of late-round draft picks. 

With two coaches who have worked with Wilson – offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and offensive assistant Rob Calabrese – Wilson in Los Angeles could be a move that makes sense. 

LaFleur worked with Wilson for the first two years of his NFL career. Calabrese was the Jets' quarterback coach. It also helps that Sean McVay has taken on other reclamation projects in the past. Wilson would be another one.

If the Rams do make a trade for Wilson, it would be a flyer on a quarterback who had high potential when he was drafted but arrived in the wrong situation. 

It would also be a low risk for the Rams. Offsheding a few late draft picks for a quarterback who could start again one day is a price the Rams ought to try and pay. 

Wilson has yet to be a good NFL quarterback, but a change of scenery and expectations may be exactly what the 24-year-old quarterback needs to be successful.