Jared Goff is hoping an extra 10 pounds makes a difference.
The second-year quarterback put on the weight this offseason during what he told ESPN.com was normal training. Goff did say, though, that adding weight during his time at Cal made him stronger against the rigors of a rapidly closing pocket.
"I felt it in the pocket," Goff told the site Tuesday. "The ability to make one guy miss is a big deal, and the ability to not get tackled by just a hand, just a guy grabbing your jersey, is a big deal. I think that's where it helped the most."
Goff was beat up behind a patchwork Rams offensive line last year while second-year star running back Todd Gurley saw his average yards per attempt shrink by more than a yard in 2016. The Band-Aid signing of 35-year-old Andrew Whitworth won't be enough to immediately reverse his fortunes, which could explain the true focus on a sturdier frame if it was at all intentional.
"It's always important to be able to sustain some of the hits," Rams head coach Sean McVay told ESPN.com. "You still want to make sure that you're fluid and flexible. I think that weight, when you're thinking about some of the throws that you have to make in the face of a pass rush, and where you have to absorb those hits -- I think it just allows you to be a little bit sturdier. I think you want to put it on the right way."
The fascination with offseason training stories has always been strange. Players experiment, switch training staffs and alter dieticians and nutritionists all the time which could lead to these mildly-significant body changes. Upon returning to the facility, all of that can change again under the watchful eye of coaches and team trainers. Goff was never going to be a mobile zone-read style quarterback in Los Angeles so it's hard to imagine another 10 pounds altering his style of play on the field. But if he can brace himself for a schedule that will eventually include dates with Michael Bennett, Calais Campbell, Chandler Jones, Jason Pierre-Paul, J.J. Watt and Fletcher Cox, there's no doubt the team will embrace it.
