Los Angeles Rams: A Bold Move That Would Help Jared Goff

NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles /

Sean McVay is the new head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, and his priority one job is obvious. Do anything possible to make Jared Goff a success.

It’s something the young coach knows a lot about. He is one of the primary reasons why Kirk Cousins is now a Pro Bowler in Washington. The job ahead is somethings he’s prepared for. The tricky part isn’t so much the scheming and other facets involved with his process. It will be about how well his new team can build around the young quarterback.

Suffice to say that so far they’ve done a poor job of it. Aside from running back Todd Gurley they have no offensive weapons worth mentioning. Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin are average receivers. Lance Kendricks and Temarrick Hemingway weren’t much better as tight ends. As for the offensive line, that might be even worse. There isn’t a single starter up front aside from maybe right tackle Rob Havenstein who isn’t replaceable.

A gigantic key to quarterback success lay in his protection. A gigantic key to that protection? Having a quality center. The Rams do not in Tim Barnes. If they’re going to upgrade anywhere first, that’s a good position to start. Even better, they may have an avenue to get one according to Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com.

"“The Philadelphia Eagles are considering moving on from starting center Jason Kelce this offseason, whether by trade or outright release, a source told PhillyVoice.Kelce, who turned 29 in November, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft and immediately became the starting center, appearing in 78 regular season games for the Eagles, all of which he started.Kelce is scheduled to count for $6,200,000 against the salary cap in 2017, $3,800,000 of which the Eagles would save if they traded or released him.”"

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Kelce is a two-time Pro Bowl. A tremendous athlete for an offensive lineman who excels at moving in space. This has made him a reliable pass protector. He’s got a manageable cap number and most believe it likely wouldn’t cost much at all to get him in a trade. Given he’s 29-years old, the odds are strong that Los Angeles could still get a good 4-5 years out of him.

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While a center is not going to turn everything around for the Rams on offense, it will be a significant step in the right direction. Goff needs to feel secure inside the pocket before he can start erasing the legion of doubters he has after a tough rookie year. Kelce is a veteran who has played at the highest level. He’ll know what the job entails and do it well. Having McVay as the organizer will only help streamline the transition.

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