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https://theathletic.com/4355109/2023/03/27/rams-offseason-plan-les-snead/?source=emp_shared_article
PHOENIX — Rams general manager Les Snead would argue the team has often been “quiet” this time of year because its dependency on compensatory draft picks has meant allowing multiple players (often initially drafted in middle or later rounds) to depart in free agency.
Of course, this offseason carries a slightly different context from many of the Rams’ previous ones.
“We’re the ‘boring’ Rams this year,” Snead said with a half grin and a heavy dose of sarcasm, referring to the team’s first few months of 2023.
After an injury-plagued 5-12 season in 2022 that marked the worst record of the Sean McVay era and worst ever by a defending Super Bowl champion, the Rams released veterans Leonard Floyd and Bobby Wagner and several other players departed in free agency (including both starting safeties, at least one starting defensive lineman and all of their specialists). They traded star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Snead even quipped that his teenage kids noted despair from the fans in online forums when the Vikings scooped up kickoff returner Brandon Powell.
The moves they did make to retain or acquire talent have not been flashy. Interior offensive lineman Coleman Shelton was re-signed to a team-friendly deal earlier this month. Monday, reserve defensive lineman Marquise Copeland signed a one-year deal instead of the Rams’ tendering him as an exclusive rights free agent. They have restructured offensive lineman Joe Noteboom, vice president of football administration Tony Pastoors said Monday, and center Brian Allen accepted a restructured deal.
Yet chief operating officer Kevin Demoff recently penned an open letter to season ticket holders that outlined a vision for a Rams team that expects to contend for the playoffs — a sentiment he doubled down on in comments Monday evening at the NFL’s annual meetings at the Biltmore Resort and Spa.
What is the reality? The Rams are somewhere at the beginning of a new window, yet borrowing elements of previous models and patterns, enabled by the luxury of continuity they have experienced as a group: Snead, McVay, Demoff, Pastoors.
For example, Snead brought up the 2019-20 season as an example of waiting out a group of linemen to develop with some continuity … and as the last time “the narrative” was that the Rams were “boring” and “quiet.” The Rams may do the same thing with their linemen this year, though Snead didn’t rule out adding to their group via the draft.
More parallels: Pastoors cited more pressure “probably” getting put on Snead and his crew of scouts and draft analysts this offseason, citing a 2017 class that featured several immediate contributors. Pastoors also hearkened back to the McVay of 2017 — who was then a 30-year-old whom nobody really expected to win as many games as fast as he did.
“When he arrived … everyone thought we were gonna be terrible. I can honestly tell you, Sean did not. He kept walking around like, ‘We’re gonna be fine,’” Pastoors said. “I think that’s his mindset right now. He feels really good about the coaches he brought in. I think he feels really good about some of the core pieces we have.
“It’s just, there are more unknowns right now.”
Pastoors expects between $55 million and $65 million in salary-cap space in 2024, achieved by “taking on pain” (the angst of almost $53 million in dead money all at once in 2023) and staying disciplined in their spending this season. They also have a first-round pick in 2024 (and for the first time since 2016), though Snead teased they could package that pick in various ways.
Quips and sarcasm aside, all representatives of the Rams in Phoenix this week have expressed what seems like genuine optimism about what they can accomplish in 2023. That there are low expectations from the public about them because of what happened in 2022 may help. Several times this offseason, McVay has referenced “getting back to 2017,” when nobody quite knew what to make of the Rams and they could outscore opponents even as they eventually made big changes to their defense through 2019 and 2020 to create a group of players they have mostly parted from.
Whether their optimism becomes reality won’t become clear until months from now. The Rams will first turn to the draft, then continue to plug remaining holes with cheap veteran acquisitions — moving into more of a “cost control” complement to the three major contracts on their roster: quarterback Matthew Stafford, receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
“As Tony just chatted with y’all, there has definitely been intent to engineer a healthier, more sustainable cap situation so that when we do get to a moment where we think, ‘OK, let’s press the gas again’, you have the capability to do it,” Snead said.
“So, this year is quiet intentionally.”
Further updates from Snead and Pastoors, and more team and league sources from the first couple of days in Phoenix:
• The Rams traded Ramsey to the Dolphins earlier this month for a 2023 third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long. As they, and Ramsey/his representation openly discussed trade considerations for weeks prior to the move, Miami emerged as the preferred destination (and had expressed early interest in making the move).
“In a nutshell, we were going to have to get under the cap — engineer a healthier cap situation,” said Snead, who added that even at last season’s trade deadline they had gotten calls inquiring as to whether the Rams would consider moving Ramsey.
“We knew he might be someone you didn’t just have to release, you can (get back) some draft capital. With that being said, working with Jalen, he had places he would rather go.
“I think all teams, when they make a trade like that, would like (to have) the player be jacked to go. … So we did allow teams to connect with Jalen. At that point, tried to engineer a win-win situation.”
• Stafford has a clean bill of health heading into the offseason, Pastoors said, after missing most of last spring and summer with an elbow injury. Stafford couldn’t throw until late into training camp, but Pastoors said he is “ready to go, gonna be part of the offseason.” The Rams recently picked up the option on his contract, which already contained language that essentially guaranteed his 2023 and 2024 salaries early in the league year. Picking up the option means the Rams could prorate some of that total as if it were a bonus.
“We’ve committed,” Pastoors said. “He’s our quarterback.”
• Yes, the Rams are still monitoring the situation with receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was a brief (though important) member of their Super Bowl team but who also has spent the last year recovering from ACL surgery.
Snead said the team is “definitely” discussing Beckham, however, “I think Odell is going to have to determine where he wants his next chapter to be.”
The Rams have outlined what they are willing/able to contractually do where Beckham is concerned, but there doesn’t seem to be a sense of urgency at this point in the calendar year and Beckham will also continue to evaluate his options.
• The Rams are still playing out the idea of trading receiver Allen Robinson, who they signed last spring to a three-year, $46.5 million deal. Robinson’s role didn’t manifest the way the group initially envisioned when they recruited him in free agency, as part of a rapid pivot after losing out on Von Miller (who signed with the Bills). As free agency began, the Rams granted Robinson permission to seek a trade. At that time, team and league sources said that the Rams would be willing to take on part of Robinson’s $15.2 million in guaranteed salary dependent on the pick exchange an acquiring team would be willing to offer.
Those efforts are still ongoing, but the Rams haven’t ruled out Robinson remaining part of their offense in 2023. Robinson’s role in the offense would have to be schematically different if he stays — more versatile, Snead indicated, instead of being the one-on-one player they initially believed Robinson would be similar to Beckham.
“We always say, ‘What are the superpowers of each player, how do we get the most out of them?’ ” Snead said. “Him and Cooper (Kupp), a lot of times you feel like him being in a role like Cooper could be the most beneficial. But are you going to take one or two off the field?
“Now, you have to figure out how you make that work. That would be on Sean and Mike (LaFleur, the Rams’ new offensive coordinator) to figure out how to make that work.”
• Snead confirmed that Long, who they acquired as part of the Ramsey trade, had been on their draft board around the same area in which the Dolphins selected him (No. 81 in 2021). Veteran tight end Tyler Higbee is entering the final year of his contract and backup Brycen Hopkins will be a free agent after 2023.
“He had some nice ball skills at (Boston College),” Snead said. “It was interesting when we were going through the trade. What we always try to do is look at players who are still on their rookie contract, that maybe — obviously you can’t go ask for their ‘best’ players on rookie contracts, they’re jacked to have them. But, OK, who had not played as much? Who did we have some affinity for in the past, would a change of scenery/situation help?”
