There are many among us who doubt Jared Goff. And for good reason. His rookie campaign was marred by horrific throws and a perpetual deer-in-the-headlights look.
He finished the 2016 campaign with 1,089 yards, completing just 54.6 percent of his passes while throwing five touchdowns and seven interceptions in seven starts. It was the kind of rookie campaign that caused many to cringe at the king’s ransom the Los Angeles Rams gave up to land Goff (details here).
However, Goff himself seems to be very excited about the 2017 season. He recently said he’s “grasped all” of the offensive concepts brought in by new head coach Sean McVay.
Another person who is excited about Goff’s development is teammate Todd Gurley.
Rams RB Todd Gurley on Jared Goff:
He didn't go number one for no reason. He has the talent, and he's just been getting better.
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) July 8, 2017
Gurley sees Goff every day in practice. He knows what the young passer out of Cal is doing to improve, so his comment should be taken seriously.
The Rams desperately need Goff to turn into a legitimate franchise passer. The draft currency they spent to land him last year isn’t coming back, so they have to build around Goff or start all over again in a couple of seasons.
We’ll abstain from judgement until we see the second-year quarterback in action throughout the 2017 NFL season. If he shows some improvement, is able to handle NFL pressure and deliver strikes down the field knowing he’s going to be hit, then we’ll start to believe Goff is capable of developing into a cornerstone. But we’re not holding our breath.
Fingers crossed, Rams fans.