Les Snead should make a bold move and trade for potential Matthew Stafford successor after Derek Carr's retirement

Much like Stafford was for much of his career (and still is to a degree), Rattler has what I call "arm arrogance", where he knows he can make any throw and tries to make them all. For better or worse. 

When the 2024 NFL Draft ended, Bleacher Report's Derrik Klassen made the case that the Rams made a mistake passing on Rattler to put behind Stafford. 

"Rattler should be a Los Angeles Ram, serving under the tutelage of Sean McVay and absorbing every lesson there is to be learned from sitting behind Matthew Stafford...For one, Stafford isn't getting any younger. Stafford is a 36-year-old with a gnarly injury history. He is a top-five quarterback when he's healthy, but it's only going to get harder and harder to guarantee his health moving forward. Rattler also nuzzles right into the mold of what McVay's offense has become with Stafford at the helm. The Stafford-era Rams passing offense is a smattering of deep dig routes, corner routes, deep over routes and ambitious play-action shot plays. There are more five- and seven-step drops in this offense than in almost any other, and that's because it trusts the quarterback to hang in the pocket and make tight-window throws from muddy pockets. All of that is right up Rattler's alley.

All of these points are still true a year later. Despite a down rookie season from Rattler, who was thrust into the starting role on a mess of a team, all of these points haven't gone away. The arm hasn't diminished, and neither has his pocket presence. 

With Stetson Bennett all but off the roster, the Rams don't really have a worthwhile QB3 behind Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo. Rattler would give them that and is slightly cheaper than Bennett cap-wise this season. 

They have two picks in the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is plenty of ammunition to make a good swing on an upside project. A late enough pick won't impact much and is a worthwhile gamble to make here. 

A move for Rattler won't stop them from making a move for a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft either if they feel like it's necessary. But if McVay and Stafford can rebuild his career, similar to what they did for Baker Mayfield, it's a move that could pay dividends down the line for the Rams. If he turns into a worthy successor, it's an even more brilliant move.