The Rams got underway for the offseason, making something as clear as recent turbulent Southern California weather: Jared Goff’s understanding of the team’s quarterback position is as firm as quicksand.

Coach Sean McVay said it when the Rams were knocked out in an NFC Division playoff game by the Green Bay Packers when he said Goff was the starter “right now”.

McVay then doubled up while taking stock of the season, a year in which Goff’s game went sideways (a minimum of 20 career touchdown passes) and that’s nice.

If anyone thought that McVay, who had once expressed his confidence in Goff, had misspoken, GM Les Snead cleared his throat. He was putting a bow on last season when asked about his present quarterback.

Snead’s approval was lukewarm, but only if someone added a cup of boiling water.

“What I can say is Jared Goff is a ram right now,” Snead told reporters. “It is far too early to speculate on the future. It’s a beautiful mystery. ”

This line is interesting in that it mimics Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ response to what awaited him in his career. The California native wouldn’t revolt and demand a trade with LA, would he?

DeShaun Watson wants to break free from the dysfunctions of the Houston Texans and can you imagine his star power in LA?

Then there’s the disgruntled Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions and he’s probably salivating at the idea of ​​joining his Texas high school pal Clayton Kershaw in LA Stafford watches the Dodgers Kershaw’s World Series ring and the Rams’ potential, with envy. .

At one point, Goff was one in every NFL quarterback. The Rams signed him for a $ 134 million contract extension, along with a record $ 110 million guarantee, on the eve of the 2019 season.

The Rams highlighted their belief in Goff after he asked them to make two playoffs, the latter of which included Super Bowl 53.

But two years later, the wheels wobble on Goff’s train as the Rams give clues that they’d rather tie their vehicle to someone else.

“I think the inference would be that we want to improve,” Snead said.

How much has the double Pro Bowler Goff stock plummeted?

Although he was cleared after undergoing thumb surgery on his throwing hand, McVay began replacing John Wolford with Goff in a playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Wolford came out prematurely with a concussion and a regular Goff replaced him to help the Rams win. But that was not the case the following week when the Packers beat LA and Goff until 2021.

What lingers with the sting of defeat is the friction between McVay and Goff, with the former now becoming a doubtful of the latter. The pair that were once connected at the hip were defeated by Goff’s erratic right arm.

But moving Goff is a task with a contract weighing on the Rams’ options. Although Snead, a year away from the elimination of running back Todd Gurley’s bloated contract, isn’t shy about considering his options.

“Going over from Jared Goff, the money that we put into him, is not easy to get over,” he said.

Impossible?

“Everything can be done in a basic cap system,” Snead said.

If the Rams return Goff, there are two levels of salary cap pain to absorb, according to overthecap.com.

Goff’s release would cost the Rams $ 65.2 million over the cap. Take it out via an exchange and it’s a $ 22.2 million pill to swallow.

Neither would fall quickly. So it’s easy to assume that the Rams will retain Goff, but only with a stable of capable suitors on deck.

Maybe the line includes Watson, Stafford, or Rodgers? Or could they stay with Wolford? Dak Peterson and the Dallas Cowboys have a long-term roping pact yet?

What was a deciding factor for the Rams was Goff’s two-year span to produce 39 turnovers, an NFL-high. This allowed LA to explore an early contract withdrawal, two seasons after leading the Rams to the Super Bowl.

LA has doubts about Goff and he baptizes his offseason struggle with what to do about it.