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L.A. Rams Rumors: Rams May Trade Up For Jared Goff, According To Latest NFL Mock Draft

By Phillip Dengler
Published on: 11:04 PST, Mar 24, 2016

With the 2016 NFL draft on the horizon, rumors are continuing to link the L.A. Rams to the top college quarterbacks. While current Rams’ quarterbacks Nick Foles and Case Keenum are the top options for head coach Jeff Fisher, this is not exactly comforting news to a fan base that is anxious to see winning football after finally getting their team back in Los Angeles.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, rumors started coming out last week regarding the possibility that the Rams could end up with North Dakota State Bison quarterback Carson Wentz or Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. Even though Robert Griffin III signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns earlier today, many analysts believe the team is expected to draft Wentz with the No. 2 overall pick. If the Rams keep their pick at No. 15, there is still a better-than-average chance that Lynch will be available for them to draft.

While Wentz and Lynch still remain possibilities for the Rams, it appears as though they may have their sights sets on the quarterback that was originally projected to be the first off the board — California Golden Bears quarterback Jared Goff. Since there is really no chance that Goff falls to the Rams at No. 15, they are going to have to trade up in order to acquire him. Since the San Francisco 49ers have long been rumored to be interested in Goff, the Rams are going to have to trade for one of the top six picks in order to have a chance to get him.

While moving up nine spots in the first round of the draft usually requires a lot of assets, the latest mock draft from Sports Illustrated believes it can happen. In their analysis, they believe the Rams will make a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to move up to the No. 6 overall pick.

“The biggest move in Round 1 comes from a team with the most appealing draft pick possibilities. Los Angeles is thin on Day 3 picks (no Round 5 or 7 selection) but holds three of the top 45 slots. Would 15, 43 and a future second-rounder be enough to convince Baltimore to drop nine spots? Let’s say yes, for the purposes of this mock. And with their new top-10 selection, the Rams cut in front of Chip Kelly to take Goff, the QB with the best combination of NFL readiness and upside in this class. All those ‘Case Keenum is our quarterback’ soundbites can be erased.”

As Sports Illustrated notes, the praise for Keenum is nothing more than Fisher not wanting to reveal his hand. While Keenum is likely to be the starter in the event that the Rams do not draft a quarterback in the opening round, he is not in the team’s long-term future.

As the Los Angeles Times reports, Fisher recently spoke about his feelings regarding Wentz and Goff.

“Wentz is obviously very smart. I don’t think he’s ever gotten a B in his life. He’s got the leadership qualities. And from a football standpoint, he’s got all the traits — the arm strength and decision-making ability, and he can make all the throws. The same thing with Goff, too. Not every quarterback coming out is going to have that same personality. All their personality types are different. But both of them are perfect for the NFL, get in the huddle and to lead and win games.”

Whether or not the Rams are able to trade up in the draft in order to acquire Goff remains to be seen, but the team is in desperate need of better play at the quarterback position. Last year’s trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire Nick Foles turned out to be a complete disaster, and there is no one currently on the roster that can be viewed as a franchise quarterback.

With the Rams back in Los Angeles, nothing would excite the fan base more than acquiring a potential franchise quarterback. While none of the quarterbacks in this draft class are a sure thing, Jared Goff is often touted as the one that is most ready for the NFL. With the NFL draft only a month away, rumors are going to continue to link the L.A. Rams to the top quarterbacks.

[Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images]

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