Goff or Wentz?

Joe Brannan, Staff Writer

Jared Goff or Carson Wentz?  Carson Wentz or Jared Goff?  The Los Angeles Rams gave up the farm for the right to pick first in the 2016 NFL Draft and consequently select one of these two quarterbacks.  Picking the right one, however, appears to be easier said than done.  LA gave up their first round pick this year, their two second round picks this year, their third round pick this year, and their first and third round picks in the 2017 NFL Draft.  So choosing the right signal caller is vital.  

We will start with Jared Goff.  The 6-foot-4-inch, 205-pound quarterback from the University of California is the most NFL ready of the two.  He is a pocket passer with a strong arm capable of making all the throws.  He is a confident leader and a California kid who would blend perfectly with the LA lifestyle.  He played in the Pac-12 Conference and threw for over 12,000 yards in his three years as a starter.  Cal is a spread offense, however, not a pro style ground and pound like the Rams offense is, so Goff would have to make the transition under center, but there are many college QBs who made the same transition, for instance Marcus Mariota.

Carson Wentz is the most intriguing of the two.  He played at Division 1 FCS North Dakota State University where he led the Bison to back-to-back National Championships in the two seasons he was the starter.  Wentz is the more athletic of the two standing 6 feet 5 inches and weighing 225 pounds.  He has the stronger arm of the two and is a capable runner and passer.  He appears more upside than Goff, but coming from a FCS school and not facing the talent of FBS schools makes him a question mark.  He has all the tools to be an NFL quarterback, but will he adapt to the speed of the game?

On Thursday, April 28, the Rams will pick one of the two to be the new leader of their franchise, a franchise that just moved back to Los Angeles and is looking for a new identity and a new face.  Let us hope they choose the right one.