Not because of what Wentz might do — if anything — as a backup quarterback for a team that is 3-6 and suffering through a three-game losing streak. If starter Matthew Stafford returns from a right thumb injury for the Nov. 19 game against the Seattle Seahawks, Wentz might never see the field in a game for the Rams.
But you can’t mention Wentz and the Rams without thinking about the NFL draft seven years ago — and where the Rams might be heading in the 2024 draft.
History lesson: In 2016, following another 7-9 season under Jeff Fisher and with the need to make a splash in their return to Los Angeles, the Rams traded up a record 14 spots in the draft to No. 1. In the blockbuster deal, they sent the Tennessee Titans their No. 15 pick, two second-round picks, a third-round pick, and first- and third-round picks in 2017.
The Rams chose quarterback Jared Goff over Wentz, who was taken No. 2 by the Philadelphia Eagles. Before the 2017 season, the Rams hired 30-year-old Sean McVay as coach. A year later, they went to the Super Bowl.
After the 2020 season, the Rams dumped Goff, sending him and first- and third-round picks to the Detroit Lions for quarterback Matthew Stafford.
That deal worked out well for the Rams. Stafford led them to victory in Super Bowl LVI at owner Stan Kroenke’s SoFi Stadium. (Goff returns to SoFi Stadium on Sunday as the leader of a resurgent Detroit Lions team that will play the Chargers.)
Stafford, 35, is under contract through the 2026 season. His 2024 salary is guaranteed. When physically sound, Stafford shows no sign of having lost any of the arm talent that has made him one of the NFL’s premier passers for 15 seasons.
But like 2016, when two quarterbacks were at the top of draft projections, USC quarterback Caleb Williams and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye are regarded as rare prospects.
Rams general manager Les Snead showed in 2016 that he will go beyond creative to get to the top of the draft and select a quarterback. Regardless of cost.
In ensuing years, he traded one or multiple first-round picks for receiver Brandin Cooks, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Stafford.
In the upcoming draft, for the first time since selecting Goff, the Rams have a first-round pick. But there is no guarantee Snead will hold on to that pick, or future first-round picks, if the player they want is available.
The Rams currently have the NFL’s sixth-worst winning percentage. The Arizona Cardinals (1-8), the Carolina Panthers (1-7), Chicago Bears (2-7), New York Giants (2-7) and New England Patriots (2-7) also are in the running for the first or second pick.
The Rams could play themselves out of contention for a top pick by making a run to the playoffs.
Based on their performance through eight games, that seems like a longshot.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
But there is reason for cautious optimism.
Stafford, offensive lineman Rob Haventsein and linebacker Ernest Jones are expected to return from injuries that sidelined them for the Rams 20-3 defeat to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Running back Kyren Williams is eligible to return from injured reserve for the Nov. 26 game against the Cardinals.
Rookie receiver Puka Nacua, rookie edge rusher Byron Young and rookie defensive lineman Kobie Turner are positioned to build on their impressive starts.
But McVay must find a way to help receiver Cooper Kupp emerge from a three-game statistical slump, and to consistently blend Kupp, Nacua and receiver Tutu Atwell into the offense.
Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris must improve a secondary that has received solid play from cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and safety Jordan Fuller.
And kicker Lucas Havrisik and the Rams special teams must consistently convert Rams’ opportunities and control or disrupt opponents.
As for Wentz, he’s not the first former first-round pick to sign with the Rams.
In 2019, with the Jacksonville Jaguars still owing him millions of dollars, Blake Bortles served as Goff’s backup. Last season, with Stafford sidelined because of a spinal injury and John Wolford struggling through a shoulder injury, Baker Mayfield started the final five games.
Mayfield, after being traded by the Browns and released by the Panthers, parlayed his Rams experience into a starting opportunity with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wentz, traded by the Eagles and the Indianapolis Colts and released by the Commanders, is no doubt aiming for a similar rebirth that might produce a starting opportunity with another team in 2024.
After last season’s Super Bowl hangover disaster, the Rams essentially told their fans to be patient and wait until 2024. They would have a first-round pick, and about $50 million in salary-cap space to work with.
SoFi Stadium could make another appearance in the Super Bowl rotation, possibly as soon as the 2025 or 2026 seasons.
That journey could start with the 2024 draft.