Rams Claim Baker Mayfield On Waivers; Will He Start?
Following Matthew Stafford's injured reserve designation, the Los Angeles Rams have added some depth to the quarterback spot, claiming former No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield off of waivers.
Mayfield recently requested his release from the Carolina Panthers, who traded for him this offseason, after he was demoted to the third quarterback spot on the depth chart.
The Rams currently sat fourth in waiver priority behind the Houston Texans, Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos, with those three teams passing on Mayfield.
With Mayfield now in the fold, one question now remains: Will Mayfield assume the starting role for Los Angeles?
That answer is, as of right now, a complicated one.
Currently, the Rams are without a first-round pick in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, and without that selection, one could argue they have less incentive in standing pat at the position.
Meanwhile, following the Stafford injury, the Rams are now stuck on a pair of backups in John Wolford and Bryce Perkins - the former of which made the most recent start.
And considering the way he has performed as of late, would Mayfield really be an upgrade over what the Rams currently have on the roster?
We would argue no.
In 67 career games, Mayfield has completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 15,438 yards, 98 touchdowns and 62 interceptions. He is 30-35 as a starting quarterback.
Mayfield finished his disappointing tenure with the Panthers after appearing in seven games. He went 1-5 starting under center while throwing for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions.
Mayfield currently ranks last in the NFL in Total QBR after recording a rating of 18.2.
Meanwhile, the Rams offense finally showed life on Sunday in the team's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, scoring their highest point total since Week 2, and racking up 319 yards of total offense and 20 first downs with Wolford under center.
In other words, without draft position at stake, the Rams would seemingly have a much better chance at saving face with the likes of Wolford under center, rather than the perceived 'problem child' in Mayfield.
However, that is now for them to determine on their own, with Mayfield on his way to Los Angeles to, at the very least, provide a little competition to the position.
The Rams take on the take on the Raiders this Thursday night at 5:15 pm PT.
You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan
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