It’s no secret that Jared Goff has a lot of work to do before he can be fully trusted to lead the Rams as the future of their franchise. However, the seven starts from his rookie season aren’t necessarily a fair barometer for what he’s capable of.

After finally earning his first start in Week 11 of the season, once it was obvious that their season was over and that Jeff Fisher’s job was once again on the line, Goff was handed a bit of a raw deal. The offensive line was brutally ineffective, which meant he spent a lot of time on his backside and chucking balls away to avoid sacks.

Per Pro Football Focus, only Cody Kessler and Andrew Luck were under pressure more often than Jared Goff was.

It’s hard to make the plays necessary to complete a first down when you’re constantly scrambling to keep the play alive – and that applies doubly for a rookie who’s thrown into the fire in the middle of a rapidly declining season.

The good news is that the Rams have done a solid job of improving the offensive line in the offseason. The addition of Andrew Whitworth at left tackle has received universal praise, and they brought in another veteran in John Sullivan. Those two, as well as reliable mainstay Roger Saffold, will absolutely help to coach up the younger players on the line.

It’s hard to imagine life not being a little bit easier on Goff this year with a more experience and reinvigorated group of players guarding and blocking for him.