The Los Angeles Rams now boast a quarterback room of two quarterbacks who have seen their quest for a Super Bowl end by the hand of the New England Patriots. The Rams signed Blake Bortles earlier this offseason to be the backup to Jared Goff.
There were mixed reactions on whether or not Bortles was a good signing for the Rams. Bortles has had his struggles as a starter in the NFL, but he could be valuable as a backup for Los Angeles.
The Rams' new backup quarterback spent five seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being selected third overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. In those five seasons, there were a ton of ups and downs for Bortles and the franchise.
There were games like Week 2 of the 2018 season where Bortles looked like an absolute franchise quarterback. In that game, he threw for 376 yards and four touchdowns to defeat the Patriots.
But there were games like Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs where he threw four interceptions in a double-digit loss. Unfortunately, these types of games happened more often than not, which has caused him to settle for a backup job for now.
With the Rams, however, Bortles can actually help Goff improve as a quarterback in 2019. You may be saying, “Huh, how can a quarterback like Bortles help someone like Goff?”
But Bortles actually can in multiple ways.
Goff is heading into his fourth season in the NFL. In the last two seasons, we have witnessed Goff make leaps and bounds from his rookie season. This can be attributed to having Sean McVay as his coach, but also he has put in the time to understand the offense more.
People tend to discredit Goff very quickly just because he has McVay calling the plays. Although, McVay isn't the one throwing the ball in tight windows to Cooper Kupp or Brandin Cooks—Goff is. Goff has improved his stats in each season and hopes to continue doing so in 2019.
So, how can Bortles help Goff continue trending upward as an NFL quarterback? By using his experience and mentally helping Goff grow as a signal caller.
Bortles is getting ready for his sixth season and has seen a lot of defenses and schemes. As a result, he can likely help Goff see things he may not have seen before by himself.
To put it another way, if the Rams run into the Patriots again, Goff now knows more than he did before. And not just because the Rams lost to them in the Super Bowl. Bortles will give Goff all of the bits and pieces he needs to know about New England—and other teams.
Any experience from your backup is a plus, but Bortles has more experience than others. Not many teams can say they have a backup who started for five years with one team. Some people forget (not Jacksonville fans), Bortles had the Jaguars just one win away from a Super Bowl bid.
In 2017, Bortles and the Jaguars blew a 10-point lead in the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots. Tom Brady worked his magic late in the game to send Jacksonville home. Both quarterbacks can come together and help each other improve for the future.
After all, the Rams' new backup quarterback is looking to be a starter at some point again in the near future. Therefore, getting a gig with the Rams could work in his favor after the 2019 season.
Goff and Bortles were already good friends off the field before they were paired up in Los Angeles. Therefore, it comes without saying that Bortles is there to truly help Goff become an even better quarterback.
Having someone behind you who is there to help you get better—without having a personal agenda—helps improve your confidence. The combination of Bortles' experience and willingness to help Goff could see the young starter have his best season yet in 2019.
Follow Us
Subscribe