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“Tough sell” was among the words used to describe Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in a new evaluation poll conducted by ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, released Monday, July 17.
Fowler polled various executives, scouts and coaches across the league to put together his rankings of top NFL quarterbacks ahead of the 2023 season. He has the 2022 Super Bowl winner slotted at No. 10, which drops him four spots from last season. But again, Fowler concluded that Stafford’s 2023 season makes him a harder evaluation.
“Stafford is a bit of a tough sell because his presence leaves several good quarterbacks — including former top-five finisher Deshaun Watson — off the list. He missed eight games last year because of neck and concussion issues. He still has top-five support among some voters, though,” Fowler wrote.
What One NFL Exec Said About Matthew Stafford
Outside of Fowler, Stafford was the recipient of some strong words regarding his play as NFL personnel men evaluated him.
“Arm looks good as it ever has,” a lead personnel man told Fowler, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
However, this same personnel representative said: “Mobility not quite what it once was, for sure. But when he was healthy, he still played at a really high level and his arm talent is as good as there is in the league.”
When healthy, Stafford still nearly completed 70% of his passes — 68% to be exact which ranked fourth in the league.
Stafford, though, had to operate the Rams offense with a myriad of injuries in the trenches, plus one other significant missing piece.
“Wide receiver Cooper Kupp missing significant time last season didn’t help matters,” Fowler wrote. “Stafford averaged 8.7 yards per passing attempt when targeting Kupp, compared to 6.2 yards per attempt when targeting other players. For context, that first number would have ranked second overall, the last one 32nd overall (out of 33 qualified QBs).”
He gets Kupp back from his ankle injury once the Rams report to UC Irvine for training camp. But Stafford also has a WR room with newer faces. Among them are the June minicamp signings Tyler Johnson and Demarcus Robinson — who bring Super Bowl-winning experience from their time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively. The Rams also have intriguing rookie Puka Nacua on board after being selected in the fifth round.
Offensive Coach Described What They Saw From Stafford
Outside of the personnel man, Fowler additionally spoke with a unanimous offensive coach who gave his evaluation of the 2023 version of Stafford.
“He looked shot last year, but they had an abysmal offensive line,” the NFL offensive coach said.
That coach added: “Hard for older guys to look good without protection. So I think with some of his bad throws he was just chucking it up out of frustration.”
Along with a new wide receiving group, Stafford is walking into a refreshed OL unit that has everyone healthy, plus now adds second-round selection Steve Avila out of Texas Christian via the 2023 NFL draft ahead of camp.
Fowler then wrote down one more dilemma facing Stafford as he enters season three inside the “Rams House.”
“But concerns about whether his body will hold up are prevalent,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, former Rams quarterback Jared Goff was named an honorable mention in Fowler’s top 10 list of signal-callers.
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