Sean McVay has never been afraid to attempt a reclamation project at quarterback when the situation is right. During his time with the Rams, he brought in players like Blake Bortles, Baker Mayfield and Carson Wentz and gave all three a chance in Los Angeles.
Bortles and Wentz were backups, while Mayfield immediately became the Rams' starter in 2022 when Matthew Stafford was sidelined and the season was lost.
As soon as Daniel Jones was released by the Giants on Friday, fans and analysts wondered if the Rams might have a chance on the former first-round quarterback. That probably won't happen, and here's why.
It's clear that Jones will clear waivers and become a free agent because his contract is so bloated, so it's not like the Rams can't afford him. It has a lot more to do with their current squad situation.
Los Angeles currently has three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster: Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett. The fact that the Rams kept Bennett on the active roster instead of waiving him when Garoppolo returned from his suspension shows they have no plans to cut him, even for a more proven player like Jones.
There's no chance they'll keep four quarterbacks on the active roster. So if they were to sign Jones, they would have to cut either Garoppolo or Bennett. It would be ill-advised to cut Garoppolo, as he has spent the entire season learning Los Angeles' offense, and he would be the best-prepared quarterback to step in should Stafford get injured.
Had the Rams not been so deep at quarterback, McVay probably wouldn't have minded giving Jones a chance to back up Stafford, especially knowing they could get a compensatory pick if he leaves in free agency next year would.
They just don't have the roster space to make it work.
If Garoppolo moves on next spring and the Rams don't have confidence in Bennett, maybe they could get Jones. But at this point it's hard to imagine.
