Third String 1st Round Rookie Quarterbacks

When a team drafts a Quarterback with their first overall pick and especially when that Quarterback is selected within the top 5, then usually coaches and fans expect that Quarterback to start immediately. Instances where first overall picks that were Quarterbacks were drafted and started immediately was first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Cam Newton, for the Carolina Panthers, first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, Peyton Manning, for the Indianapolis Colts, and second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Robert Griffin III, for the Washington Redskins. All of these player came in, started for their specific teams in week one and were expected to make an impact. Now some of these first round rookie Quarterbacks have successful careers and some of them merely fizzle out.

In the 2016 NFL Draft, the top two picks were Jared Goff out of the University of California Berkley and Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State. These two players were picked by the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles by trading multiple picks in order to get into the first and second position, primed to draft their future Quarterbacks. What the Rams did was they swapped first rounders with the Tennessee Titans (the 15th overall pick for the 1st overall pick), then the Rams sent the Titans two 2nd rounders, one 3rd rounder, and their 1st and 2nd rounder from 2017 for a 4th and a 6th rounder from 2016. The Eagles also made some blockbuster trades to make it from pick number 13 to pick number 1. First they traded linebacker Kiko Alonso and cornerback Byron Maxwell and the 13th overall pick to the Dolphins for the 8th overall pick, then traded disgruntled running back Demarco Murray and their fourth round pick to the Titans for their 4th round pick (100th overall). Then they traded the 8th overall pick, a 3rd round pick, a 4th round pick, their 1st rounder in 2017, and their 2nd rounder in 2018 to the Browns for the 2nd overall pick and a 4th round pick in 2017.

Now originally, coach of the LA Rams, Jeff Fisher promised then Quarterback, Case Keenum, that he would be the starter before this trade ever went down as did Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson promise Quarterback Sam Bradford. There was even a short hold out and trade demand by Sam Bradford after he found out that the trade took place because he feared his starting position on the team, however, this never happened with Case Keenum. And while Keenum has had a modicum of success in the NFL, he has been far from elite status or even the consideration of being good, while Bradford, despite being overpaid and overrated should always be penciled in as being a starter on teams that he is on until there is actually a Quarterback that has the skills to start about him.

Now a lot of speculation has gone into why both Carson Wentz and Jared Goff are being considered 3rd string Quarterbacks for their specific teams. Now Goff has played in every preseason game for the Rams, Wentz had a hairline fracture to his ribs in the first game against the Buccaneers that sidelined him for the whole preseason. According to many, Goff has played horribly and despite a shaky game where receivers dropped passes, Wentz played decently against Tampa. Now mind you, I am an Eagles fan so I am a bit biased, but it is saying a lot that Jared Goff cannot start above Case Keenum and even former 3rd round pick in 2015 Sean Mannion. Case Keenum, who is making 3.6 million dollars as a starting Quarterback and hasn't even put up that great of numbers would be considered a backup Quarterback on most teams and it is scary that Goff has not been able to beat The low paid Keenum out.

Carson Wentz on the other hand is currently not starting because A. Sam Bradford is currently the better Quarterback until injured or B. until Wentz proves that he is better, which he will only be able to do so if Bradfrod gets injured. Bradford is currently making 36 million over the span of 2 years with around 28 million guaranteed so there is no way that Wentz is starting over a player that is making that much money. And the backup, Chase Daniel is making around 4.5 million a year as a backup with Wentz signing a 4 year 26.5 million dollar contract. Now one could make the case that Wentz should be starting over Daniel and I think that would happen if Bradford were to get injured, but currently that is all up in the air.

I personally feel like Jared Goff was a huge reach by the LA Rams and I don't think that he will ever pan out. Not because he isn't a good person, but he isn't a good player in the Rams system. They don't have a particularly good offensive line and the only skill player of note is Todd Gurley at running back. As for Wentz, he has shown more promise with a better offensive line and better all around players around him, he seems like the better player picked. Now it is very early in the careers of these two guys and anything can happen, however, this rarely stops fans from trying to see the future and speculating the outcomes of their careers.