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Bonsignore: GM Les Snead deserves share of credit for Rams turnaround
First-year Rams coach Sean McVay has quickly become a fan of Les Snead, the club’s general manager, since joining the Rams. ‘What Les and his staff have done is incredible,’ McVay said. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
By VINCENT BONSIGNORE | vbonsignore@scng.com | Daily News
PUBLISHED: December 8, 2017 at 3:02 pm | UPDATED: December 8, 2017 at 4:00 pm
In the months leading up to the 2017 NFL draft, over the course of meeting after meeting in which schematic philosophies were discussed and physical skill-sets and preferences were articulated and potential draft day scenarios were laid out – complete with precise responses and courses of action to respond to every situation – Sean McVay would sometimes sit back and marvel at Les Snead.
This was the first draft that McVay, the Rams first-year head coach, was directly involved from beginning to end, covering all positions across both sides of the ball. Where previously his input was confined to the specific position group he coached or the offense as an offensive coordinator, he was now intimately involved in every phase of the operation.
And Snead was the general manager McVay was working alongside. Almost joined at the hip, really, as both men went about the business of resetting the culture, roster and fortunes of a franchise that hadn’t had a winning season in 14 years.
As we now see upon observing a rookie draft class provide immediate and consistent contributions – in spite of the Rams not having a first-round pick – and a free-agent class that’s helped change the entire dynamic of a team in desperate need of an infusion of veteran leadership and production, McVay and Snead might as well have been Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger with all the home runs they launched in the draft and in free agency.
It’s resulted in a turnaround as dramatic and decisive as any we’ve seen in the NFL, with the Rams now emerging as an NFL power mere months after the 4-12 season they stumbled through last year.
Yes, Jared Goff and Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald and Alec Ogletree and Trumaine Johnson and Michael Brockers and Lamarcus Joyner are invaluable holdovers that have helped fuel the unprecedented U-turn the Rams made.
But it’s hard to imagine this level of success without the contributions of Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan and Robert Woods and Kayvon Webster and Connor Barwin and Sammy Watkins, the key veterans the Rams added through free agency and trade.
Or the production of Cooper Kupp and Gerald Everett and John Johnson and Tanzel Smart and Samson Ebukam and Josh Reynolds, the handful of rookies that have either earned starting or rotational roles or flourished upon stepping in for injured veterans.
And while McVay is out front as the face of the Rams remarkable transformation, Snead deserves no less credit for the way he orchestrated an NFL offseason for the ages.
Absolutely,” McVay said. “What Les and his staff have done is incredible.”
But maybe not surprising, considering the chemistry that was apparent between Snead and McVay from the moment they first met.
The veteran general manager and young head coach struck an immediate chord during the interview process that ultimately led to McVay being hired. That Snead was even a part of the coaching search was a bit of a surprise, as many assumed he would meet the same fate as former head coach Jeff Fisher, who was fired last December after failing to produce a winning record in five seasons.
But while Snead was the general manager during Fisher’s entire Rams’ run, the two were never the “package deal” some had assumed. And the Rams believed Snead deserved the chance – and could flourish – while working alongside a fresh, new voice.
It was obvious early in the interview process a Snead/McVay tandem could work. While McVay and Rams owner Stan Kroenke, Vice President of Football Operations Kevin Demoff and senior assistant Tony Pastoors mostly talked big picture and general philosophy and finances, it was Snead with whom McVay got down to the nuts and bolts about football and football players and what made for a competitive team and healthy locker room.
“As we went back and forth it was obvious we had a similar approach,” McVay said.
To the point McVay began hoping a working relationship would soon come to fruition.
“In the back of my head I was thinking, if this opportunity presented itself, I’d get the chance to work with someone I enjoyed right off the bat.” he said.
His instincts proved correct. And as he observed Snead during the draft process, it struck McVay how thoroughly Snead covered all his bases. For an obsessive game planner like McVay, it was like looking in a mirror.
“You’re meeting over and over and over and you play out certain scenarios to the point where you realize that’s his way of game planning and calling a game,” McVay said. “OK, on third down and two to five, here are your priority calls based on coverages. It’s the same exact thing. Well, we’re sitting here in the second round, and if this happens and this happens, now who are we taking if that guy goes?
“When you have that foresight, that thorough planning and that mindset and mentality, that’s where you’re putting yourself in the best possible position to make good decisions. You’re never caught off guard.”
Snead declined a request by the Southern California News Group to talk about Rams turnaround – and the role he’s played in it – opting to talk at the conclusion of the season instead.
But in canvassing McVay and others, they describe a general manager who attacked last offseason after immediately landing on the same page with his new coach on how best to lift the Rams out of a near two-decade long rut.
The picture they paint is of a sound, thorough personnel executive who welcomes and encourages input, feedback and dialogue. The objective is creating a consensus.
“I think the best thing about Les is, he works really hard and is really good at what he does and we’re able to have healthy dialogue to where we are very much on the same page,” McVay said. “But if there is something we see a little differently as we are making a decision, we communicate openly and honestly with one another and once we make that decision, it’s a Rams decision and we’re all in it together.”
It was important to McVay the dynamic of trust and open dialogue was in place. And just as important, a level of mutual respect for each other’s role.
It’s a component that was instilled in him by his grandfather, John McVay, a former NFL head coach and general manager who, having served both roles, has a unique understanding of the common thread that needs to be in place for both to function productively.
“In the conversations we had in terms of figuring out what’s best for our football team – and I know it sounds cliche – but we were truly on the same page with everything,” McVay said. “And when we have a question, we’re very intentional about every decision we make and I think that’s where you give everyone a chance to find solid ground and be on the same page as far as what we want to accomplish.
“When we, as a coaching staff, can articulate some of the needs, some of the things we value, it helps Les and his staff prioritize free agents and the draft board. What do you want your football team to look like, what kind of players do you want to bring into your locker room?”
From the outset, Snead and McVay prioritized intelligence, conscientiousness and a love for football in the players they pursued.
“When you find smart football players that are conscientious the game doesn’t feel too big to them,” McVay said.
[www.ocregister.com]
First-year Rams coach Sean McVay has quickly become a fan of Les Snead, the club’s general manager, since joining the Rams. ‘What Les and his staff have done is incredible,’ McVay said. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)
By VINCENT BONSIGNORE | vbonsignore@scng.com | Daily News
PUBLISHED: December 8, 2017 at 3:02 pm | UPDATED: December 8, 2017 at 4:00 pm
In the months leading up to the 2017 NFL draft, over the course of meeting after meeting in which schematic philosophies were discussed and physical skill-sets and preferences were articulated and potential draft day scenarios were laid out – complete with precise responses and courses of action to respond to every situation – Sean McVay would sometimes sit back and marvel at Les Snead.
This was the first draft that McVay, the Rams first-year head coach, was directly involved from beginning to end, covering all positions across both sides of the ball. Where previously his input was confined to the specific position group he coached or the offense as an offensive coordinator, he was now intimately involved in every phase of the operation.
And Snead was the general manager McVay was working alongside. Almost joined at the hip, really, as both men went about the business of resetting the culture, roster and fortunes of a franchise that hadn’t had a winning season in 14 years.
As we now see upon observing a rookie draft class provide immediate and consistent contributions – in spite of the Rams not having a first-round pick – and a free-agent class that’s helped change the entire dynamic of a team in desperate need of an infusion of veteran leadership and production, McVay and Snead might as well have been Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger with all the home runs they launched in the draft and in free agency.
It’s resulted in a turnaround as dramatic and decisive as any we’ve seen in the NFL, with the Rams now emerging as an NFL power mere months after the 4-12 season they stumbled through last year.
Yes, Jared Goff and Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald and Alec Ogletree and Trumaine Johnson and Michael Brockers and Lamarcus Joyner are invaluable holdovers that have helped fuel the unprecedented U-turn the Rams made.
But it’s hard to imagine this level of success without the contributions of Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan and Robert Woods and Kayvon Webster and Connor Barwin and Sammy Watkins, the key veterans the Rams added through free agency and trade.
Or the production of Cooper Kupp and Gerald Everett and John Johnson and Tanzel Smart and Samson Ebukam and Josh Reynolds, the handful of rookies that have either earned starting or rotational roles or flourished upon stepping in for injured veterans.
And while McVay is out front as the face of the Rams remarkable transformation, Snead deserves no less credit for the way he orchestrated an NFL offseason for the ages.
Absolutely,” McVay said. “What Les and his staff have done is incredible.”
But maybe not surprising, considering the chemistry that was apparent between Snead and McVay from the moment they first met.
The veteran general manager and young head coach struck an immediate chord during the interview process that ultimately led to McVay being hired. That Snead was even a part of the coaching search was a bit of a surprise, as many assumed he would meet the same fate as former head coach Jeff Fisher, who was fired last December after failing to produce a winning record in five seasons.
But while Snead was the general manager during Fisher’s entire Rams’ run, the two were never the “package deal” some had assumed. And the Rams believed Snead deserved the chance – and could flourish – while working alongside a fresh, new voice.
It was obvious early in the interview process a Snead/McVay tandem could work. While McVay and Rams owner Stan Kroenke, Vice President of Football Operations Kevin Demoff and senior assistant Tony Pastoors mostly talked big picture and general philosophy and finances, it was Snead with whom McVay got down to the nuts and bolts about football and football players and what made for a competitive team and healthy locker room.
“As we went back and forth it was obvious we had a similar approach,” McVay said.
To the point McVay began hoping a working relationship would soon come to fruition.
“In the back of my head I was thinking, if this opportunity presented itself, I’d get the chance to work with someone I enjoyed right off the bat.” he said.
His instincts proved correct. And as he observed Snead during the draft process, it struck McVay how thoroughly Snead covered all his bases. For an obsessive game planner like McVay, it was like looking in a mirror.
“You’re meeting over and over and over and you play out certain scenarios to the point where you realize that’s his way of game planning and calling a game,” McVay said. “OK, on third down and two to five, here are your priority calls based on coverages. It’s the same exact thing. Well, we’re sitting here in the second round, and if this happens and this happens, now who are we taking if that guy goes?
“When you have that foresight, that thorough planning and that mindset and mentality, that’s where you’re putting yourself in the best possible position to make good decisions. You’re never caught off guard.”
Snead declined a request by the Southern California News Group to talk about Rams turnaround – and the role he’s played in it – opting to talk at the conclusion of the season instead.
But in canvassing McVay and others, they describe a general manager who attacked last offseason after immediately landing on the same page with his new coach on how best to lift the Rams out of a near two-decade long rut.
The picture they paint is of a sound, thorough personnel executive who welcomes and encourages input, feedback and dialogue. The objective is creating a consensus.
“I think the best thing about Les is, he works really hard and is really good at what he does and we’re able to have healthy dialogue to where we are very much on the same page,” McVay said. “But if there is something we see a little differently as we are making a decision, we communicate openly and honestly with one another and once we make that decision, it’s a Rams decision and we’re all in it together.”
It was important to McVay the dynamic of trust and open dialogue was in place. And just as important, a level of mutual respect for each other’s role.
It’s a component that was instilled in him by his grandfather, John McVay, a former NFL head coach and general manager who, having served both roles, has a unique understanding of the common thread that needs to be in place for both to function productively.
“In the conversations we had in terms of figuring out what’s best for our football team – and I know it sounds cliche – but we were truly on the same page with everything,” McVay said. “And when we have a question, we’re very intentional about every decision we make and I think that’s where you give everyone a chance to find solid ground and be on the same page as far as what we want to accomplish.
“When we, as a coaching staff, can articulate some of the needs, some of the things we value, it helps Les and his staff prioritize free agents and the draft board. What do you want your football team to look like, what kind of players do you want to bring into your locker room?”
From the outset, Snead and McVay prioritized intelligence, conscientiousness and a love for football in the players they pursued.
“When you find smart football players that are conscientious the game doesn’t feel too big to them,” McVay said.
[www.ocregister.com]
