There’s a universal truth in the NFL and it’s been true for a good long while now; if you don’t have a quarterback, you really don’t have anything.
It doesn’t matter how great your defense is, how elite your running back is or how open and uncoverable your star wide receiver is. If the guy under center is worthless, you’re not going far.
Now, there are always exceptions to every rule, but those exceptions come with bigger asterisks than the New England Patriots’ four Super Bowl rings. The 2000 Baltimore Ravens had what may be the best defense in the history of the NFL and that got them a title. One title In a few years later the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to the Super Bowl with a similarly potent defense, but they brought a decent offense with them, as did the 1985 Chicago Bears. But even these are fluke seasons, many times dominated not by how good these defense-heavy teams were, but by key injuries and freak upsets in the rest of the NFL.
For instance, would the 2000 Ravens had won the Super Bowl if, say, Az-Zahir Hakim hadn’t muffed a punt in the St. Louis Rams – New Orleans Saints playoff game? I don’t think so. That same Rams team ate the Ravens alive just a year before in Kurt Warner’s first career start and, even with a concussion, Warner had the Saints beaten before Hakim’s fumble.
It would be an injured Kurt Warner, lost for all of 2002 with a broken hand, that would open up a title opportunity for the Buccaneers.
When the Rams traded for Nick Foles, they got a guy that knows how to win football games, can lead a team from behind, make every throw and is smart enough to run a complicated offense. They also got a guy coming off an injury-shortened 2014 campaign where he only played in eight games and tossed a career-high 10 interceptions. So that leaves a little bargaining room for the Rams.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher acknowledges discussions regarding contract for QB Nick Foles. Of course, deal is easier discussed than done.
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) June 16, 2015
Now, 2013 Foles is a monster, playing in 13 games and throwing 27 touchdowns with two picks and it’s obvious the Rams feel like that’s the guy for which they traded Sam Bradford away. And hopefully they’re right, but that 2014 guy commands a much more manageable salary, somewhere in the Andy Dalton – Alex Smith range, than the 2013 guy. If that guy shows up again, the Rams will have to pay real money to keep him. And trust that the whole reason to trade Bradford for Foles is because head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead think he’s the long-term answer, regardless of who they drafted for insurance.
Nick Foles feels right at home with #Rams
STORY: http://t.co/0WkLX3QDZt pic.twitter.com/OClFgBgCPS
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 25, 2015
Foles can sit back and be in no hurry too, but it’s a gamble. Say the Rams offer him an Alex Smith-sized contract, somewhere around five-years and $60 million with $20 million guaranteed, that’s not a bad deal for anybody. Foles has security, money in the bank and if he plays better than the contract, the Rams will be ready to renegotiate before the 2018 and if there are some playoff appearances in there, some 2013-type seasons and not to mention a high-profile move to Los Angeles, Foles could end up in Cam Newton/Aaron Rodgers territory.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher acknowledges discussions regarding contract for QB Nick Foles. Of course, deal is easier discussed than done.
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) June 16, 2015
Foles could bet on himself and his health, something that with a rebuilt right side of the Rams offensive line might not be the smartest move, and hope he racks up another Pro Bowl season. It’ll be the difference in making $12 million a year to $16-18 million a year, so it might be worth it. But it’s a dice-roll and there’s no sugar-coating it.
For the Rams, it’s the best move. They didn’t trade for Foles to get him hurt and with the running game and high number of draft picks they’ve spent on their line, they have no reason to expect him to go down. The two sides are talking right now and that’s all that’s happening, but a deal worked out before the regular season would not be a surprise or bad move, for the Rams or Foles.
