Exploring the Rams' options with Nick Foles

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RamBill

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Exploring the Rams' options with Nick Foles
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/26503/exploring-the-rams-options-with-nick-foles

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The NFL offseason isn't even a month old, but the Los Angeles Rams have already made it known that their quarterback situation for 2016 is as clear as mud.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher has said that Case Keenum is the team's starter entering the offseason and Nick Foles and Sean Mannion will be around to compete.

“I spoke with Nick," Fisher said after the season. "We’re going to give Nick a chance to compete. There will be competition when we come back, and I think we have a promising young talent in Sean that will be in the mix as well.”

On the other side of that coin, Fisher and general manager Les Snead have both openly acknowledged that they'll continue to search for more talent at the position. It's a must after the Rams finished at the bottom of the league in most major passing categories in 2015.

“Quarterbacks are hard to find, especially good ones," Snead said. "But there are a lot of avenues, whether it’s free agency, the trade market or the draft. And with all that, there’s roses and thorns with each acquisition method for that QB position. But we will always search for that. We will always have a competition."

The first step in making some alterations to the position is finding a quarterback who is better than what the Rams already have in house. As Snead points out, talented quarterbacks don't grow on trees and the competition to acquire the good ones is never lacking.

But if the Rams are able to add a quarterback they like, it also means they'll have to subtract one from the current roster. That's where things get a bit more difficult. Keenum is a restricted free agent but he's also the one the Rams currently have the most faith in, which means they'll bring him back. Mannion is a third-round pick entering his second season and though the Rams believe he needs more work, it's unlikely they'd want to give up on him so soon.

Which brings us to Foles. The Rams wouldn't have much of a decision to make had they not been so needlessly quick to sign Foles to a contract extension before he ever played a snap for the team. They did and now letting Foles go comes with some financial implications.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Foles is due to count $8.75 million against the 2016 salary cap. That includes a $6 million roster bonus that is guaranteed, $1 million of signing bonus proration and $1.75 million in base salary that becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the new league year. If the Rams released Foles, they'd also have to accelerate the additional $1 million in signing bonus proration he's due in 2017 to this year's cap.

So even if the Rams released Foles before his base salary became guaranteed, it would still be a net hit of $8 million or they could declare him a post-June 1 cut to make it a hit of $7 million.

That's a big hit to take for a team that has as many pending free agents as the Rams, but it might become a necessity if the Rams see a path to making a much-needed improvement at the game's most important position.
 

Ram Man

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As I've mentioned before, it is unlikely that Foles is going anywhere with a base salary of $1.75M next season and a large cap hit if cut. Not a great situation.
 

12intheBox

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One real option.

Cut him - take the hit - and learn from this shitfest - the most recent years film is relevant - and probably more so.
 

Selassie I

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As bad as I don't like the sound of it... we may need to keep Foles if we are unable to bring in a real upgrade at QB. Foles had a (Barkley voice here) TERRIBLE season,,, but he has produced in this league. Some of his production woes could have been caused by the failure at OC (Cigs).

I'm sure the team will do everything it can to bring in a talented QB... but so will the vast majority of the rest of the league. Just because you really want one, and really really need one,,, doesn't mean you can find or get one. What are there,,, like 10 badass QBs on the planet?
 

jrry32

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As the wise man, K Camp, once said, "It ain't nothing to cut that bitch off."

Cut the cord.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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They need to move on and bite the bullet. The only benefit of not doing so is saving 1 million against the cap. I can't believe they signed him so soon. Couldn't they have waited at least 8 games into the season? WTF!
 

markstewart67

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I think Foles will start and be much better this year. I think 2015 was a fluke. I guess we'll see soon enough.
GO RAMS!!!
 

pmil66

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Maybe there is a team that needs a QB more than the rams and a trade could be worked out.
 

DR RAM

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Save a million, cut your other losses.
 

OC_Ram

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you've got to know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em, know when to cut'em and walk away - Kenny Rogers
 

jjab360

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I see a lot of options tbh. We could either cut him, let him go, terminate his contract, end his Rams career, or send him packing. Lots and lots of options.
 

Merlin

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KC has a backup QB in Daniels that will be making 4.8m, and releasing him should net them 3.8m. Trade him to KC for a 5th round pick, or a ham sandwich, or whatever.

BTW I like Foles and feel terrible for him. But the dude missed his window with this team and they gotta move on.
 

kurtfaulk

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I reckon the rams think they can fix him.

.
 

LACHAMP46

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Which brings us to Foles. The Rams wouldn't have much of a decision to make had they not been so needlessly quick to sign Foles to a contract extension before he ever played a snap for the team. They did and now letting Foles go comes with some financial implications.
The only really crazy move...I mean...At least let him take a snap...in preseason....But I'm keeping Foles & Mannion...geez that was hard to type...Grab a great rookie this year... In 2017, scrap Foles....If Mannion can play, keep him as the backup going forward.
 

BonifayRam

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The Nick Foles debacle is just plain STUPID :sick:.....simple as that.......who made that decision? :admin:Who authorized that? ....never let that responsible person whomever it was :mad:EVER make another QB decision again.
 

Yamahopper

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Cut him. He's not even backup quality. And if the rams don't feel Mannion can beat Foles out for the backup job they should cut Mannion too.
Bringing him back is compounding a mistake. The money is spent, it's about winning games.
 

ramfan46

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You gotta cut him just for the roster spot. I will be pissed if they carry 4 QBs going into camp and livid if it's basically the same 3 as now and I like Keenum! I think it would send the right message to the locker room that it doesn't matter your pay, you gotta be an asset to the team. No one is untouchable and with his horrid play, he should be gone IMO. Should be a straight up competition from Mini Camps to Preseason with Keenum, High Draft Pick and Mannion battling IMO.
 

fearsomefour

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I reckon the rams think they can fix him.

.
Which would be the reason the trade was made in the first place. Which is scary. It means they have deluded themselves to some degree. There isn't much out there to replace him with.