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Who is on the hottest seat in the NFC West?
Josh Weinfuss, Arizona Cardinals reporter: Rams general manager Les Snead. He's in Los Angeles. He has a new coach. He has a top pick as his quarterback. He has a running back with elite capabilities. It's starting to become now or never for Snead. If his team struggles again, it might just be time for owner Stan Kroenke to make a change. There's too much at stake, even if the move-in date for their new stadium is three years away. The Rams can't afford to have another losing season in 2017 and scare off a fickle Los Angeles crowd, which, as everyone knows, loves a winner. Another losing season and the Rams could very likely be all but invisible to the Los Angelenos, who have at least 10 other major sports teams they can watch. And with the Cardinals and Seahawks in control of the division for the time being, the Rams need to start winning to be relevant again in the West.
Alden Gonzalez, Los Angeles Rams reporter: Snead. He came in around the same time as former coach Jeff Fisher, received an extension with Fisher, but wasn't let go alongside Fisher. When the Rams fired Fisher toward the end of the 2016 season, COO Kevin Demoff said everybody was under review, including Snead. It wasn't until the new coach, Sean McVay, was brought in that Snead's job status for 2017 solidified.
Snead is now one of few Rams executives or coaches who remain from 2016, not to mention 2012. In this offseason alone, an entirely new coaching staff was configured and a handful of scouts were fired. From 2012 to 2016, the Rams finished no better than 7-8-1 and as bad as 4-12. They have yet to construct an adequate offensive line or receiver corps, and they still don't know if they have a franchise quarterback.
A lot of that blame fell on Fisher, who had most of the control. But the pressure's on Snead to build chemistry with McVay and make the type of prudent moves that can finally steer this franchise in the right direction. The Rams badly want to be legitimate playoff contenders by the time they move into their new stadium in 2020, especially with the Chargers now giving them competition in the market.
Nick Wagoner, San Francisco 49ers reporter: Snead. The 49ers and Rams were the worst teams in the division a year ago and both made major changes in an effort to right the ship. But while the 49ers started over with a new coach and general manager, the Rams kept Snead on board. Fisher had a lot of say in the team's drafts and Snead was able to survive in part because many of the failed personnel decisions could be attributed to Fisher. Still, this will be Year 6 for Snead, and the Rams haven't posted even a .500 season during his tenure. It's always difficult to try to pair an incumbent general manager with a new head coach after the honeymoon period ends. The Rams will need to make progress this year or they could be seeking a new tag-team partner for McVay.
Sheil Kapadia, Seattle Seahawks reporter: Snead. This is an easy one. The organization finally parted ways with Fisher, and the changes to the coaching staff -- specifically hiring Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator -- should pay dividends. But that means Snead will no longer have a good excuse if this looks like a roster devoid of talent. And specifically, if Jared Goff fails to progress in his second season, it will be tough to make a reasonable case that Snead should keep his job.
http://www.espn.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/126452/who-is-on-the-hottest-seat-in-the-division
Josh Weinfuss, Arizona Cardinals reporter: Rams general manager Les Snead. He's in Los Angeles. He has a new coach. He has a top pick as his quarterback. He has a running back with elite capabilities. It's starting to become now or never for Snead. If his team struggles again, it might just be time for owner Stan Kroenke to make a change. There's too much at stake, even if the move-in date for their new stadium is three years away. The Rams can't afford to have another losing season in 2017 and scare off a fickle Los Angeles crowd, which, as everyone knows, loves a winner. Another losing season and the Rams could very likely be all but invisible to the Los Angelenos, who have at least 10 other major sports teams they can watch. And with the Cardinals and Seahawks in control of the division for the time being, the Rams need to start winning to be relevant again in the West.
Alden Gonzalez, Los Angeles Rams reporter: Snead. He came in around the same time as former coach Jeff Fisher, received an extension with Fisher, but wasn't let go alongside Fisher. When the Rams fired Fisher toward the end of the 2016 season, COO Kevin Demoff said everybody was under review, including Snead. It wasn't until the new coach, Sean McVay, was brought in that Snead's job status for 2017 solidified.
Snead is now one of few Rams executives or coaches who remain from 2016, not to mention 2012. In this offseason alone, an entirely new coaching staff was configured and a handful of scouts were fired. From 2012 to 2016, the Rams finished no better than 7-8-1 and as bad as 4-12. They have yet to construct an adequate offensive line or receiver corps, and they still don't know if they have a franchise quarterback.
A lot of that blame fell on Fisher, who had most of the control. But the pressure's on Snead to build chemistry with McVay and make the type of prudent moves that can finally steer this franchise in the right direction. The Rams badly want to be legitimate playoff contenders by the time they move into their new stadium in 2020, especially with the Chargers now giving them competition in the market.
Nick Wagoner, San Francisco 49ers reporter: Snead. The 49ers and Rams were the worst teams in the division a year ago and both made major changes in an effort to right the ship. But while the 49ers started over with a new coach and general manager, the Rams kept Snead on board. Fisher had a lot of say in the team's drafts and Snead was able to survive in part because many of the failed personnel decisions could be attributed to Fisher. Still, this will be Year 6 for Snead, and the Rams haven't posted even a .500 season during his tenure. It's always difficult to try to pair an incumbent general manager with a new head coach after the honeymoon period ends. The Rams will need to make progress this year or they could be seeking a new tag-team partner for McVay.
Sheil Kapadia, Seattle Seahawks reporter: Snead. This is an easy one. The organization finally parted ways with Fisher, and the changes to the coaching staff -- specifically hiring Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator -- should pay dividends. But that means Snead will no longer have a good excuse if this looks like a roster devoid of talent. And specifically, if Jared Goff fails to progress in his second season, it will be tough to make a reasonable case that Snead should keep his job.
http://www.espn.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/126452/who-is-on-the-hottest-seat-in-the-division
