How we got here
Jourdan Rodrigue, beat writer for Rams: Exploring what is possible in a Goff exchange seemed to be the next step in the process for the Rams after coach Sean McVay refused to commit to Goff as his long-term holder at the end of the season. What really seemed to irritate McVay were Goff’s 38 turns in 31 games over the past two years, a rise in the league during that period, part of which led to a rare McVay public criticism of Goff mid-season.
As quarterback reserve John Wolford – who started two games for the Rams (Week 17 and the wild-card playoffs) while Goff was recovering from thumb surgery – showed how McVay’s attack could operate with a quarterback who can extend playing with his feet and quickly progressing his receiver options, it seemed that the Rams had already made up their minds: if they cannot switch Goff, he will compete with Wolford for his initial training camp job.
How Rams restrictions can affect trading
Rodrigue: It is not just the issues of the Rams’ negative $ 30 million wage ceiling that can hurt trade negotiations as this process continues, but also how and where they should allocate their current resources. They have a handful of basic contracts with famous players, and so they rely on a very good draft in the intermediate rounds for key beginners who fill the rest of their cheap squad.
Therefore, in business negotiations, if a team is demanding multiple choices, Rams cannot compensate for those choices by filling the list through a free agency – they must have options in the draft. That’s where things get complicated.
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