from

Which NFL GMs and front offices helped or hurt their teams the most in 2023?

https://theathletic.com/5149666/2023/12/20/nfl-gms-front-offices-best-worst-rosters/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nfltw&source=nfltw

Los Angeles Rams

Few expected the Rams, with no premium picks and little salary cap flexibility, to be very competitive this season. But GM Les Snead used a bevy of mid-round draft picks to fill roster needs, and seven of those 14 rookies hold starting positions or key rotational roles. That includes fifth-round selection Puka Nacua, who has 1,163 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, bargain free-agent acquisitions like cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, offensive guard Kevin Dotson and wideout Demarcus Robinson also have made key contributions for the Rams, who are 7-7 and hold the seventh, and final, NFC playoff spot.

Zooey wrote:

zn wrote:

Rams Brothers@RamsBrothers

it feels like there are two VERY important moves that Les Snead made that are rather… unorthodox?

He released Van Jefferson & Cam Akers in the last year of their deals. The Rams took on more dead cap, but it made room for Kyren to excel in the new scheme, and allowed Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell own the “X”. It has made all the difference offensively.

…

Me@moi

Though to be fair, it’s not clear how much of that is Snead and how much of that is Snead and McV collaborating and thinking it through together.

I don’t see it quite that way. Akers has been in the process of Unwelcoming himself on the team for quite a while, and became worthless to them in a “remodel” year anyway. His departure opened up the backfield. Not sure that was wizard work. Tutu outperformed VJ who just didn’t show up this season. VJ worked himself into expendability. And Demarcus took advantage of Tutu’s concussion.

Yeah it’s more along the lines of “stuff outsiders couldn’t know when they judged the Rams off-season harshly.”

The harsh judgments neglected a few things. Like, the fact that they weren’t really dumping everyone for rookies–they were promoting a lot of 2nd and 3rd year players who were ready to step up (Lake, Bobby Brown, Williams, etc.).

And also that they were always pretty good at finding low-cost veteran trades and signing cheap “ronin” type vets (Witherspoon, Dotson, D.Robinson).