Power ranking 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo, other NFC West quarterbacks

It sure feels like the Rams never have any first- or second-round picks on any given year, and that’s again the case with the offseason move for Matthew Stafford.

One can easily argue without much question how Jared Goff held back head coach Sean McVay’s offense the last two-plus years, and McVay’s frustrations with his former quarterback ultimately prompted the move to get much more firepower under center.

Stafford, 33 years old, finally goes from the doldrums in Detroit where he never had a legitimate complementary rushing game to Los Angeles, a venue where McVay will certainly employ a run game that’ll help balance out the offense and relieve the pressure on Stafford.

And if there’s one move that could signify the Rams becoming NFC West favorites, it’s this one right here.

True, the 49ers have owned the Rams the last two years, so perhaps Niners fans aren’t as concerned. But they should be, as long as Stafford stays healthy.

That might not be easy, though.

L.A. is still dealing with a lackluster offensive line that wasn’t adequately addressed during the offseason, and losing pass-catching weapons like tight end Gerald Everett won’t help matters too much either.

Yet the biggest concern with Stafford is the injury bug.

After missing eight games in 2019, a still banged-up Stafford managed to start all 16 last season but enters 2021 going up against a much more formidable pass rush in the NFC West than he saw in the NFC North.

If things go bad with Stafford, the Rams fall apart awfully quick.