The Rams’ blockbuster draft trade has already made one quarterback millions

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The Rams and Titans shook up the NFL Draft with a blockbuster trade. The Rams got the top pick in the Draft, and the Titans scored a boatload of picks. But the real winner is Cal quarterback Jared Goff.

Before the trade, most experts had the Cleveland Browns selecting North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz with the second pick in the draft. Most also agreed that Goff would be the second quarterback off the board, but not among the top seven picks overall. Now that two quarterback-hungry teams are at the top, it looks like Goff is a lock to be one of the first two picks and the rise will be worth millions to him before he ever takes a snap.

In a survey of NFL Draft experts prior to the trade, 10 of the 13 had Goff being drafted at No. 7 overall by the 49ers or No. 8 by the Eagles. Now, the consensus seems to be that it is just a matter of whether Goff is taken first or second.

On SportsCenter, Todd McShay now has Goff going No. 2 overall.

ESPN

Jason La Canfora has the opposite, saying Goff will be “gone” when the Browns pick second.

Meanwhile, Adam Schefter of ESPN said the Rams are leaning towards Goff.

The difference is huge.

Since the 2011 draft, caps on rookie contracts have made the amount each pick receives in their first deal largely predetermined by when they are drafted.

The top two picks in last year’s draft, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, each signed a rookie contract worth a little more than $23 million over four years, with Winston receiving a $17 million signing bonus and Mariota getting $15 million up front. This year’s top picks will likely make just a tad more than that.

Meanwhile, the seventh pick in that draft, wide receiver Kevin White, signed a $17 million contract with a $10 million signing bonus, and the eighth pick, linebacker Vic Beasley, signed a $13 million contract with $8 million up front.

In other words, with the Rams trading up, Goff’s first contract just increased $6-10 million in total value and his signing bonus may have just nearly doubled.

Not a bad few days for Goff, and he didn’t have to throw a single pass.