Rams: Could Carson Wentz be the quarterback of the future in L.A.?

It almost went without saying Nick Foles wasn’t guaranteed the starting quarterback job with the Los Angeles Rams in 2016. But Rams general manager Les Snead made it official during an interview with Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio that the position will be up for grabs during training camp.

As of right now, that means Foles will compete with Case Keenum for the job.

Unless, of course, another legitimate staring quarterback winds up on the roster between now and training camp – which is pretty much a given.

With all due respect to recent rumors indicating Peyton Manning is a possibility, the most likely place the Rams will find a potential starting quarterback is through the draft next April.

The problem is, the two top-ranted quarterbacks – Cal’s Jared Goff and Memphis’ Paxton Lynch – figure to be gone by the time the Rams make their first selection at No. 15 in the first round.

The good news is, there is another quarterback gaining momentum and barring a dramatic surge up the draft board, he should be available at No. 15.

His name is Carson Wentz, and he played collegiately at North Dakota State. That isn’t exactly a hotbed breeding ground for NFL quarterbacks, but Wentz is firmly on the NFL’s first-round radar.

And he all but solidified first-round status Tuesday during workouts at the Senior Bowl when he emerged by some observers as the best quarterback of the day.

Or,as Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage told the Houston Chronicle, the 6-foot-6, 240-pound Wentz has certainly caught the attention of NFL scouts in a major way with his arm strength, athleticism and production.

“Carson is big. He’s got a strong arm and is very athletic,” said Savage, a former Cleveland Browns general manager and Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel. “He’s in an offense that’s more conventional to the NFL, rather than all the spread offense type of stuff. Even though he’s coming from the FCS, he’s got a lot of traits that people think will carry over to the NFL.

“I think he’s probably going to be the most-watched player here. Hopefully, he winds up being the face of the franchise.”

Wentz finished his career at North Dakota State going 20-3 as a two-year starter and finishing third in school history with 5,115 career passing yards, 45 touchdowns and a 64.1 completion percentage. After suffering a broken wrist last season, he came back to lead the Bisons to their fourth straight National Championship.

Of course, Wentz did all this at the FCS level. And he knows he must overcome that distinction as the draft draws closer.

“I think there’s obviously a lot of doubts coming from the FCS level,” Wentz told the Houston Chronicle. “I want to address that right away and prove I can play at a high level, play at a fast level, and compete with those guys and really excel. I feel I have the mental and physical abilities to play at this level. I’m ready and excited to prove that.”

It looks like he’s well on his way to doing just that.

Depending how the draft unfolds next April, he might just be the quarterback the Rams tab as the new face of their franchise.