Nick Foles gets lost in Rams' QB shuffle, skips team workouts

Nick Foles is not participating in organized team activities with the Los Angeles Rams.

Before the Rams relocated to Los Angeles, Foles had already been relocated on the depth chart in favor of Case Keenum. Then the Rams traded for the No. 1 pick, drafted Jared Goff and thusly dropped Foles down another peg on the quarterback list.

General manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher felt the trade last offseason that brought Foles to the Rams in exchange for Sam Bradford was a risk worth taking. But Foles fell out of favor quickly, lasting nine starts before being benched.

His contract could keep him on the roster into training camp.

The Rams already paid a roster bonus in March - before the deal with the Tennessee Titans brought the team the top pick in the 2016 NFL Draft - worth $6 million. That was part of the two-year, $24.5 million extension Foles signed after he was acquired from the Eagles.

Snead told FOX Sports that the Rams made the deal in 2015 knowing it might not work. But the allure of a second-round pick in 2016, which the Rams ultimately used to get the No. 1 pick from the Titans and draft Goff, helped seal a shift in thinking that began with the team discussing how to sign Bradford to an extension.

"Who's the answer after (Bradford)? We're really looking to try to get something done contractually. Those few teams kept calling and calling, now we're talking about it internally. Eventually, we made the move. You very rarely see starting quarterbacks swapped," Snead said. "One of the reasons for us was it helped us from a financial standpoint. We also knew grabbing that extra second-round pick, whoever our quarterback was going to be last year might not work out, so it would be time to start looking again. We knew by getting that extra second-round pick it would give us the ability to maneuver more in the next draft."

The Rams signed Keenum to the top restricted free agent tender value for 2016 and in 2015, drafted Oregon State's Sean Mannion. One of the quarterbacks not named Goff will be cut before the start of the 2016 season, possibly two. By not showing up for voluntarily team workouts Foles is not subject to fine, but he might be helping seal his fate.