Baker Mayfield Claimed By Los Angeles Rams – But Does It Make Sense?

Some are wondering what Baker Mayfield will bring to the table as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.

The team will pick up the remaining $1.35 million on the former 2018 first-overall pick’s contract, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The move to sign Mayfield comes during a tough season following coming off a Super Bowl win the previous season.

Starting quarterback Matthew Stafford was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury on Saturday.

That means the 34-year-old will miss at least the next four games and will be out until week 17, ending his season.

In Stafford’s absence, John Wolford has handled the quarterback duties for the Rams.

However, the organization may have seen enough and could have given Mayfield a chance.

The Rams’ next game is Thursday against the Oakland Raiders, and reports indicate that it’s possible that he could start the game.

Regardless, this will be Mayfield’s third team he’s been on in the past couple of years.

In the offseason, the quarterback was traded by the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a conditional 2024 fifth-round draft pick.

However, the season has not gone as hoped for Mayfield.

In just five games with the Panthers, he has only totaled a quarterback rating of 18.3, which ranks 31st in the NFL.

On Monday, the Panthers decided to release him – allowing the Rams to put in a claim.

This will give Mayfield another fresh start under Sean McVay‘s system.

Unfortunately, the Rams will be without wide receiver Allen Robinson for the rest of the season – and quite possibly Cooper Kupp as well, who had surgery on his ankle last month.

It will be interesting to see how it works out, but it allows the Rams to evaluate a 27-year-old quarterback and see if he’s a fit for McVay.

If he plays well, the Rams will likely keep him around a little longer than next year.

Unfortunately, the team will be without a first-round pick this year because of the Stafford trade with the Detroit Lions.

To make matters worse, that pick is currently slotted at fourth overall.

That could have given the Rams a chance to draft one of the top quarterbacks in 2023 that features Bryce Young of Alabama.

So, the Rams aren’t left with too many ideal options and will take a low-risk swing at Mayfield, who was highly touted not too long ago.