It's a common trend in the NFL to see players make large strides in their second seasons. After the completion of their rookie campaign, many head into Year 2 not only with more experience, but also with a stronger sense of confidence — something that often translates into improvement on field.
For Jared Goff, that was exactly the case in 2017, as the then second-year quarterback showcased one of the most impressive year-to-year turnarounds in the league.
And heading into his third season, Goff's confidence has only continued to increase.
Check out photos of day two of the Los Angeles Rams minicamp.
"I talk about it all the time how comfortable I am," Goff said this week. "As time goes on, you get more comfortable and I think anytime you have a year under the same system and you're able to come back into the same system with the same guys, you feel good. I feel comfortable, feel confident."
That poise has been on full display throughout the club's offseason program. At each OTA and throughout the start of minicamp, Goff has been noticeably sharper in his drills and timing with various receivers has significantly improved from this time last year.
But confidence isn't the only noticeable difference in Goff.
He also appears to be taking more ownership of the offense, making a point to speak with his playmakers on the sidelines and go over ways to fix even the smallest of mistakes.
"It goes back to just understanding things further and starting to dive deeper into some of the stuff we do — truly understanding what we're trying to get done with each play and becoming more in control of everything," he explained.
As head coach Sean McVay puts it, the goal for Goff this season is about consistency. After an impressive 2017, can Goff continue to operate at a high level in 2018?
"We talk about it all the time, that's the truest measure of performance," McVay said. "It certainly is the truth where we want him to be an extension of our coaching staff. "I think that's what you expect to see, that's what we've seen throughout the offseason program and now we expect to see him wrap up the minicamp the right way and start off that way in training camp."
