Will Baker Mayfied stick with the Rams as their backup subsequent season? – Los Angeles Rams Weblog

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Whereas the Los Angeles Rams really feel safe with Matthew Stafford below middle for the 2023 season and past, the crew can have a choice to make at backup quarterback.

In what was already going to be an fascinating resolution with backups John Wolford (restricted) and Bryce Perkins (unique restricted) being free brokers after this season, it grew to become much more so when the Rams claimed quarterback Baker Mayfield off waivers from the Carolina Panthers for the ultimate 5 video games of the season.

Mayfield, who’s enjoying this season on his fifth-year choice, shall be a free agent this offseason. He mentioned Wednesday that he hasn’t given a lot thought to what’s past the ultimate two video games.

“I am a free agent after this, so I actually have not given it a lot thought, to be sincere with you,” Mayfield mentioned. “Simply attempting to roll with someday at a time. We’ll see. Ought to be fascinating, however all that does not begin until March anyway, so we’ll see the way it goes.”

And though Mayfield impressed towards the Denver Broncos on Sunday, finishing 24-of-28 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns — he mentioned he’s not attempting to show something with these remaining two video games in Los Angeles.

“[Just] persevering with the development and being snug within the system and simply showcasing my talents and simply the flexibility to guide,” Mayfield mentioned.

However because the Rams and Mayfield have discussions about whether or not he shall be again in Los Angeles subsequent season, listed below are just a few elements that may go into that call.

What Mayfield desires

Finally, Mayfield could not wish to keep in Los Angeles just because he has an opportunity to compete for a beginning job elsewhere. The higher he performs — as he did on Sunday towards the Broncos — the much less probably it’s that he would re-sign with the Rams.

Regardless of Stafford being within the concussion protocol twice this season and now on injured reserve with a spinal wire contusion, the crew isn’t involved about any results of that going ahead. Nevertheless, Stafford shall be 35 subsequent season, so Los Angeles will probably take his age into consideration and whether or not they suppose that may have an effect on his capability to play all 17 common season video games going ahead.

However, Mayfield could determine after spending a month-plus within the Rams system that he desires to be coached by Sean McVay and his workers and that he’d choose to again up Stafford than to compete for a beginning job elsewhere for a crew with much less expertise round him.

Mayfield’s potential wage

Even when Mayfield and the Rams each wished him in Los Angeles in 2023, what it could take for that to occur from a wage perspective issues. The Rams are at present projected to have $1.7 million in cap area, in response to Over the Cap, however the entrance workplace has proven prior to now that they are often inventive sufficient to seek out area for strikes they wish to prioritize.

One contract that might be comparable could be the deal the Pittsburgh Steelers gave Mitch Trubisky: A two-year deal for $14 million that might rise to a maximum value of $27 million with incentives. Solely $5.25 million of that contract was assured, however Trubisky additionally signed with an opportunity to begin in Pittsburgh, which received’t be the case in Los Angeles until Stafford is injured.

It might additionally appear like the deal quarterback Teddy Bridgewater signed with the Miami Dolphins final offseason. Bridgewater, signed to again up Tua Tagovailoa, agreed to a one-year deal value as much as $10 million with $6.5 million assured. That contract can also be simpler to offer out when mixed with a quarterback on a rookie deal; compared to the $8.25 million Tagovailoa made in 2022, Stafford has a cap hit of $20 million in 2023 and $49.5 million in 2024.

What the Rams have to prioritize

Even when the Rams might create the cap area that might permit them to re-sign Mayfield as their backup quarterback, there’s additionally the query of whether or not they wish to prioritize that spending on a backup quarterback.

For the previous three seasons with Wolford backing up Jared Goff after which Stafford, he had a cap hit of lower than $1 million. McVay mentioned when having conversations with basic supervisor Les Snead and the remainder of the entrance workplace about how one can prioritize that spending, it first will depend on, “what kind of cash do now we have to allocate?”

“And also you at all times begin with your personal roster, proper?” McVay mentioned. “Re-signing your personal guys which can be free brokers. You then have a look at what are the exterior methods to have the ability to onboard sure gamers. What’s your draft capital? … As you are actually attempting to fill out your complete crew, you’ve obtained to grasp, alright, how a lot cash do you’ve you can allocate to have the ability to spend in that offseason?”

The Rams might, after all, convey Wolford again if the contract with Mayfield doesn’t work out or they may discover a cheaper choice. The Rams do have six draft picks — one within the second spherical, one within the third, three within the sixth and one within the seventh — that they may use to discover a low cost backup resolution for the following few years.