Will Baker Mayfied remain as Rams backup next season? – Los Angeles Rams Blog

THOUSAND OAKS, California — Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford Below centre, for the 2023 season and past, the group should resolve as a backup playmaker.

It might have been an attention-grabbing choice with backups anyway. John Wolf (restricted) and Bryce Perkins (solely restricted) being a free agent after this season obtained much more so when the Rams demanded a quarterback Baker Mayfield waived from the Carolina Panthers within the last 5 video games of the season.

Enjoying with the fifth-year choice this season, Mayfield might be launched out of this season. He mentioned on Wednesday he did not assume a lot of what occurred past the final two video games.

“I am a free agent to any extent further, so to be trustworthy with you, I did not actually take into consideration that,” Mayfield mentioned. “I simply attempt to roll over in the future at a time. We’ll see. It must be attention-grabbing, however that does not all begin earlier than March anyway, so we’ll see the way it goes.”

And though Mayfield impressed the Denver Broncos on Sunday by finishing 24 of 28 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns – he mentioned he wasn’t attempting to show something with these final two video games in Los Angeles.

“[Just] To proceed to evolve and to be comfy with the system and simply showcase my skills and simply my capability to guide,” Mayfield mentioned.

However because the Rams and Mayfield debate whether or not he’ll return to Los Angeles subsequent season, there are a number of elements that may affect that call.

What does Mayfield need?

In the end, Mayfield could not wish to keep in Los Angeles simply because he has an opportunity to compete for a start-up job elsewhere. The higher he performs, as he performed in opposition to the Broncos on Sunday, the much less probably he’s to re-sign with the Rams.

Though Stafford has been in concussion protocol twice this season and is at present injured tow as a consequence of a spinal twine harm, the group isn’t involved about any ahead results. Nevertheless, Stafford might be 35 subsequent season, so Los Angeles will probably take into account his age and whether or not that may have an effect on his capability to play all 17 common season video games going ahead.

However Mayfield, after spending greater than a month within the Rams’ system, could resolve he needs to be coached by Sean McVay and his group and would relatively help Stafford than compete for a beginning job elsewhere for a group. round with much less expertise.

Mayfield’s possible wage

Even when Mayfield and the Rams need him in Los Angeles in 2023, salary-wise what it takes to make that occur is necessary. The Rams are at present anticipated to have $1.7 million in capital area, in accordance with Over the Cap, however the entrance workplace has proven prior to now that they are often artistic sufficient to search out area for strikes they wish to prioritize.

An identical contract can be the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mitch Trubisky: A $14 million two-year cope with incentives that may attain a most worth of $27 million. Solely $5.25 million of that contract was assured, however Trubisky additionally signed with an opportunity to start out in Pittsburgh, which will not be the case in Los Angeles until Stafford is injured.

On the similar time the deal can seem like a quarterback Teddy Bridgewater He signed with the Miami Dolphins final season. Bridgewater signed to again up Tua Tagovailoaagreed to a one-year deal of as much as $10 million with a assured $6.5 million. This contract can also be simpler to award when mixed with the quarterback in a rookie deal; In comparison with the $8.25 million Tagovailoa made in 2022, Stafford has a cap of $20 million in 2023 and $49.5 million in 2024.

What coaches ought to prioritize

Even when the Rams may create the pay hole that may permit them to re-sign Mayfield as backup quarterback, it is also questionable whether or not they wish to prioritize that expense over a backup quarterback.

Wolford’s final three seasons are backed up Jared Goff after which Stafford, Wolford had an higher restrict of underneath $1 million. Talking with normal supervisor Les Snead and the remainder of the entrance desk about how you can prioritize these bills, McVay mentioned it primarily will depend on: “What sort of cash do we have to put aside?”

“And also you all the time begin with your personal record, proper?” mentioned McVay. “Re-signing your personal males who’re free brokers. Subsequent, you take a look at what exterior methods you may embrace sure gamers. What’s your draft capital? … Because you’re actually attempting to fill your whole group, it’s important to perceive, okay, how a lot cash do it’s important to spend in that low season?

If the contract with Mayfield would not work out, or if they’ll discover a cheaper choice, the Rams may in fact convey Wolford again. The Rams have six picks they’ll use to discover a low-cost backup answer for the following few years – one within the second spherical, one within the third, three within the sixth and one within the seventh.