Jared Goff has been in the NFL for five years, so it’s not as if he’s an inexperienced quarterback. But all offseason, Andrew Whitworth has talked about the experience that Matthew Stafford brings to the Rams with 12 years in the NFL under his belt.
That helps the offense as a whole, considering how many different schemes Stafford has played in and how many defenses he’s played against. But it’s also beneficial for the Rams’ younger players, Whitworth says.
During an appearance on the Jim Rome Show, Whitworth pointed out that Stafford’s experience can help younger offensive linemen, receivers and running backs.
“There’s things he can help young linemen with, there’s things he can help young receivers with. Backs, tight ends,” Whitworth said. “Just little tidbits that he can say, ‘Hey, against this coverage, this is what you want to do’ that almost feels like a coach on the field a little bit. I think that’s that added level that a veteran QB gets you that’s just hard to replace. And a guy as talented as him, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t excited about our opportunity this season.”
Stafford has impressed Sean McVay and his teammates on the field already this offseason, shining in OTAs and minicamp. The pads will come on next month when the Rams take the field for training camp, which is when he’ll really get a chance to showcase his skills.
It’s hard not to like the Rams’ chances this year with Stafford under center and a strong core of young playmakers around him.