The only coordinator opening… https://t.co/riAo7RZpa1

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2024

Why not the active leading in game-winning drives? https://t.co/YjOxmuJg61 pic.twitter.com/7RI77spYRu

— SeattleRams (@seattlerams_nfl) February 26, 2024

zn wrote:

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue The Rams are hiring Sean Desai, a source said (@JFowlerESPN initially reported), in what was described to me as a multi-faceted role that will work with the offense/offensive coaches from a defensive perspective. Rams have quietly staffed a job like this for a couple years.

It’s the Jimmy Lake spot. Lake of course went with Morris to Atlanta.

Desai has Fangio roots. Fangio was the DC in Chicago for 4 of the years Desai was a defensive coach there (2015-18). He overlapped with Staley there for 2 years. In fact Fangio replaced him as the DC in Philadelphia.

Whatever it is the Rams had Lake doing in 2023, it revived his career. Same could happen with Desai. He’s at least knowledgable of the Fangio system, which is what Shula inherits from Morris, who inherited it from Staley. I don’t know how close Shula will stick to that system, but Desai could be a resource, along with the other things he’ll be doing in his new role with the Rams.

Desai actually has a PhD, fwiw. From Temple. He was a coaching assistant for the Temple football team while being a grad student. In 2010 he chose coaching over entering academia. That year he turned down a full-time professorship at George Washington University to stay at Temple as a  linebacker coach and special teams coordinator.

In lots of ways, he sounds a lot like Lake. Bright guy, varied background, hit a rough patch, Rams then hired him to be whatever it was Lake was with the Rams. Desai takes that role whatever it is.

Number of QBs who handled at least 95% of his team's dropbacks over the last 12 NFL seasons:

2012 – 19
2013 – 16
2014 – 15
2015 – 15
2016 – 14
2017 – 14
2018 – 15
2019 – 13
2020 – 12
*move to 17-game season*
2021 – 11
2022 – 10
2023 – 8

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) February 25, 2024

zn wrote:

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue The Rams are hiring Sean Desai, a source said (@JFowlerESPN initially reported), in what was described to me as a multi-faceted role that will work with the offense/offensive coaches from a defensive perspective. Rams have quietly staffed a job like this for a couple years.

Me: the last guy who did this was Jimmy Lake. Morris took Lake with him to Atlanta. Here’s how Lake described his job with the Rams, a job that it looks like Desai will now take over:

from https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/news/los-angeles-rams-jimmy-lake-credits-growth-sean-mcvay-atlanta-falcons

When he came to L.A. last offseason, Lake had been fired as head coach of the Washington Huskies a year earlier after a plethora of issues on and off the field. By all accounts, it was a low point in Lake’s long coaching career.

Enter the Rams and coach Sean McVay, who offered Lake a job as an assistant head coach for the 2023 season. Normally a defensive coach, Lake found himself working on offense for the first time ever.

The experience not only helped him grow as a coach but on a personal level as well. So much so that when Raheem Morris left to become head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Lake was his first choice as defensive coordinator.

During his introductory press conference with the Falcons on Wednesday, Lake was asked what he learned coaching alongside McVay in 2023. In response, Lake opened up about what the Rams coach meant to him in just that one season.

“Such a growth experience for me, and if you had to boil it down to one thing, it was his leadership through the ups and downs of the season, and the way Sean handled that. We had an extremely young team. His leadership through the OTAs, through the offseason program, his leadership through our three-game losing streak never wavered. He stayed the same.

“You lose three games going into the bye week. We could have easily went the other way, but then we ended up going 7-1 after the bye, and it was really because of Sean’s leadership and how he displayed that in front of the team. He never wavered.”

 

This thread digressed into some fantastic–and faaaaar from inappropriate–humor. 😎

But in the midst of that, something was said that was true. It really is the case that some analysts said during the season that Nacua needs to work on his route running.

Which we all know he will.

So imagine him when he does step up his game in 2024.  😲

nittany ram wrote:

an improved Puka Nacua (is that even possible?).

Well he did lead the league in drops. And I saw break downs of his play where analysts pointed out that he wasn’t an accomplished route runner in 23 (he often telegraphed routes and would slow down going into hard cuts). So yes you would think he could improve if he works on things in the off-season and in camp.

Ranking all 32 NFL Head Coaches:

1. Chiefs: Andy Reid
2. Rams: Sean McVay
3. Ravens: John Harbaugh
4. 49ers: Kyle Shanahan
5. Texans: DeMeco Ryans
6. Chargers: Jim Harbaugh
7. Bengals: Zac Taylor
8. Packers: Matt LaFleur
9. Browns: Kevin Stefanski
10. Steelers: Mike Tomlin
11.… pic.twitter.com/37jbGpHcTX

— John Frascella (Football) (@LegendSports7) February 23, 2024

This is the most accurate take on evaluating quarterbacks nowadays (including the Stroud play his rookie season) that you will read.

A HUGE chunk of Caleb's throws come off-schedule, a huge chunk of many passing concepts are not translatable. Projections are MUCH tougher now. https://t.co/Z29sei8AoU

— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) February 23, 2024

That’s who I’m watching now also… and Williams, so talented, concepts get no one open, OL bad so running for his life, then when things are open he plays too fast or doesn’t see things, so how do you evaluate? Do you just say “gifted thrower” & hope it all translates when things…

— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) February 23, 2024