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StickierBuns · 02-16-2025, 11:10 AM

The Los Angeles Rams.

@JoeBeldner

"If Stafford and the Rams part ways... if I were Sam Darnold, I'd be fixated on wanting to be their next QB.

Best landing spot and system for him to extend his career as a starter and benefit from pairing with another offensive genius in Sean McVay and a legit WR1 in Puka Nacua."

McVay will be there to coach him up, good team, etc. The Rams know there isn't a QB in this upcoming Draft worth a shit. Team #1 for Sam Darnold's agent.

purplefaithful · 02-16-2025, 11:14 AM

100%

McVay got good intel on Sam from KOC, So Cal kid, Rams culture.

All makes perfect sense.

I'd prefer Sam went to AFC, but it would be a good fit for him and I like the guy.

I'd want to keep Sam if we didnt just draft a kid top 10

StickierBuns · (This post was last modified: 02-16-2025, 11:24 AM by StickierBuns.)

(02-16-2025, 11:14 AM)purplefaithful Wrote: 100%

McVay got good intel on Sam from KOC, So Cal kid, Rams culture.

All makes perfect sense.

I'd prefer Sam went to AFC, but it would be a good fit for him and I like the guy.

I'd want to keep Sam if we didnt just draft a kid top 10

I really like Sam, I do. But I was riding the sunshine because I knew deep down that he'd shit the bed when it was all said and done, but I had fingers crossed that wouldn't be the case. My feeling is JJM is the kid to change the narrative because that's all he's done his whole football career. And this isn't Colt McCoy with intangibles only and no physical excellent: JJ has the arm, athleticism and 'IT' factor unlike any QB Minnesota has drafted. But Stafford is a great QB but he shit the bed a ton in big games. Threw a lot of INTs. But for one year he put it together on a stacked Ram's team.

100% if we hadn't drafted JJ McCarthy I'd be ringing the bell for Darnold. But he'll never change the Viking's fortunes, its just another can kick down the road. McCarthy is the Purple King, he's the guy that makes the Vikings relevant for 10+ years as a NFC Superbowl challenger. I believe that.

supafreak84 · 02-16-2025, 11:55 AM

I don't know how any team gets the vision of Darnold holding on to the ball, looking lost, and eating sacks in epic fashion in the biggest games of the year out of their minds. And that's with KOC calling plays and coaching him. Would love to see him go to the Rams because in my mind it eliminates them from becoming real contenders next season. Going from Stafford to Darnold is a significant downgrade in ability and experience. Go for it Rams!

purplefaithful · 02-16-2025, 11:57 AM

(02-16-2025, 11:55 AM)supafreak84 Wrote: I don't know how any team gets the vision of Darnold holding on to the ball, looking lost, and eating sacks in epic fashion in the biggest games of the year out of their minds. And that's with KOC calling plays and coaching him. Would love to see him go to the Rams because in my mind it eliminates them from becoming real contenders next season. Going from Stafford to Darnold is a significant downgrade in ability and experience. Go for it Rams!

I think the "hope" would have to be he somehow gets over the hump...

But hope aint a plan either.

comet52 · 02-16-2025, 12:09 PM

(02-16-2025, 11:57 AM)purplefaithful Wrote: I think the "hope" would have to be he somehow gets over the hump...

But hope aint a plan either.

Every team/gm/coach at various points thinks "We can make it work with (insert player's name here) because we're better at this than that team he's with now."

It's one reason why players with talent get multiple chances. There is always that hope and belief that we will succeed where others failed. Plus you usually get that talent at a discount, which is kind of the X factor with Sam now--he's no longer cheap.

I think he's a reclamation project that if handled the way the Vikings handled him can do ok--he can live up to some of the hype.

But no coach or system can really fix his slow processor which is imo a firm ceiling that will always limit his chances of winning meaningful games. The bigger the stage the worse it gets as we saw.

supafreak84 · 02-16-2025, 12:26 PM

I really think Sam was broken from his time with the Jets where he was "seeing ghosts" and put in unwinnable situations. It's like dealing with someone with PTSD. Sometimes no matter how much counseling (coaching) you get, when the shit hits the fan you are going to revert back to who you are, the learned trauma, and that's what we expected and that's what we saw. Sam is going to be 28 prior to the season and he is who he is at this point. We saw him in the best possible situation with the best possible coaching and the result was...put up some nice numbers, won some games, but shit
the bed horribly when it mattered the most and reverted back to PTSD Sam. If I'm a team in free agency looking for a quarterback, buyer beware on Sam Darnold because I think we saw him at his best and it still didn't amount to much.

StickierBuns · (This post was last modified: 02-16-2025, 12:41 PM by StickierBuns.)

Having said this, I don't believe McVay is the QB whisperer that KOC is. He needed a vet in Stafford to get him over the hurdle. O'Connell is going to do that with McCarthy, his new toy with the plastic just pulled off. This kid impacts everyone he meets.

[Image: 01jgmahhz6ntf4qk0qdr.jpg]

MaroonBells · 02-16-2025, 01:25 PM

Agree...Rams would be the perfect place for him. A degree of continuity with the scheme, some really nice weapons. It would be the place where he could most likely replicate what he did in 2024.

Montana Tom · 02-16-2025, 05:07 PM

While the Rams might be the ideal place for him, I'm going to put my chips on Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly winning the bidding war for the best FA or Draft-ready QB this year. Anybody who signed up to pay Jon Gruden $10mm/year is needy enough to pay Darnold above his pay grade for some semblance of stability at the position, with any hope to get to the playoffs...like the other three teams in the AFC West.

Besides, that puts him in the AFC in the same division as Mahomes, Herbert and Nix. The Raiders have to do something dramatic to get in the mix.