INDIANAPOLIS -- Are the Rams preparing to roll west with Case Keenum under center?
One day after coach Jeff Fisher reiterated that Keenum would come back as the starter -- with Nick Foles set to compete for the job -- general manager Les Snead talked about not panicking under center.
"It's not one variable to win in this league. There's a lot of them," Snead said Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine. "QB's important, but there's a lot of other things that are important, too."
Snead dug into what he called his "long answer" to the quarterback question, saying the Rams have conducted in-depth studies -- "probably ... as many as any team" -- on what makes pro passers successful in today's NFL.
Since 2012, per the research, 21 quarterbacks have started 45 or more games. When their teams allowed 25 or more points, only one of those passers logged a winning record. When the same teams gave up 17 or fewer points, all 21 of those quarterbacks posted winning records.
The point is that Snead and Fisher will continue to prioritize building a smothering defense while looking for "consistency" under center.
The Rams are open to adding competition -- and seeing more from second-year arm Sean Mannion -- but Snead and Fisher both crowed about the 3-1 record Keenum compiled after unseating the milquetoast Nick Foles.
"We do like what Case brought to the table," Snead said. "That's why we traded for him last year to bring him back and he helped stabilize the position."
The Rams deserve credit for building a rugged squad on both sides of the ball. If Los Angeles longs for a bruising defense and promising ground game, this franchise can deliver. The quarterback position, though, remains a focal point -- and the No. 1 reason why the Rams are still seen as 7-9 fodder.
So how do you pitch Keenum -- if he winds up being the guy -- to Los Angeles?
"Here's what I'm going to say," Snead told Around The NFL. "It's a team sport. I think it's easier -- the goal should be selling winning and consistently winning and not necessarily an individual player, so I think what you do is, you win during the season. Sales jobs come during the offseason and preseason and they really don't matter."
Said Snead: "I think you don't sell it. You actually just do it. Then it sells itself."
