Blake Bortles is slated to be Jared Goff’s backup in 2019, which makes Sean Mannion expendable. The free agent quarterback has drawn very little interest on the open market and there were no indications the Rams would bring him back, leaving his potential suitors seemingly limited.
It turns out the Minnesota Vikings are taking a look at Goff’s former backup. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Vikings are “in the mix” for Mannion now that their former backup quarterback, Trevor Siemian, is meeting with the Jets.
Losing Mannion wouldn’t be a significant blow at all for the Rams, thanks to the arrival of Bortles. Mannion has played just 10 games and made one start in four years, getting very few opportunities with the Rams.
He’s completed 33 of 53 passes for 258 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in his career, but even when given extended playing time in the preseason, he’s shown minimal progress.
Bortles is an upgrade based on experience alone, giving the Rams a proven veteran in the event that Goff gets hurt. If Mannion does land with the Vikings, the Rams should hope he signs a big enough contract to factor into the compensatory pick formula – though that seems unlikely.
