Demoff: “…this is not a rebuild to me whatsoever. This is maximizing the talent we have. http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/32615/rams-coo-kevin-demoff-this-is-not-a-rebuild
Demoff’s words here are important I think.
There are absolutely things that McVay brings that make a difference–his staff, his own playcalling prowess, his leadership and steadiness.
But if 2016 was a perfect cluster storm of bad things, 2017 is a beautiful weather day made up of many good things…in addition to McVay.
Continuity:
These are all the non-Shanahan things you get from this team. “Non-Shanahan” means this. All indications are that Shanahan, like McVay, is a very strong head coach. He just does not have a team PLUS works alongside a completely new GM too. Shanahan is rebuilding, McVay is winning. The difference IMO is entirely the situations they landed in.
Rams kept Snead, who not only knows the team and has perfected the art of being the type of GM who finds the kinds of players that fit the coaches’s systems…add this: most times during a regime change, you see players let go who then go on to have good careers when other teams pick them up. Rams had FAR less of that then teams with new head coaches and new systems usually do.
Rams kept Reggie Scott, who knows most of these players and has already fine-tuned a battle-tested system for keeping players rested who need it and healing who need it and generally keeps them in the game
Rams had Goff, who was just always going to be THAT green as a rookie (college Air Raid system or a variant) BUT also always had the basic talent you need: arm talent, mindset, toughness. He just needs playing time to perfect all that into veteran qb play.
Rams had Gurley, who fell off in 2016 but for that very reason (IMO) woke up and game back stronger in 2017
Rams kept Fassel who was given a chance to fine-tune and improve on an already top unit…like for example, look at what Littleton has done under Fassel
Rams inherited a great roster of young veteran defensive talent: Tru, Joyner, Tree, Barron, Donald, Brockers…they haven’t even peaked yet
One old saying is, the more things change the more they stay the same. I counter that with a new saying: the more things stay the same the better the changes are.
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