Article: Two of The Best GM Candidates for The Rams

[RamFan503]

It's starting to look more and more like the Rams are ready to move on from Les Snead.

I've been out for the holidays. Did I miss something or is this just more BS, presumptive reporting?

 

[Faceplant]

I've been out for the holidays. Did I miss something or is this just more BS, presumptive reporting?

The latter...

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

The key is having a GM who knows what the Coach wants and if said player fits that coaches scheme. Yes Bilichick had final say but a lot was based on the information provided from his scouting department led by Pioli. Its not like Bill was out scouting players. Pioli would scout, size down a list of players he thought the coaching staff would want based on the criteria they wanted and Bill would check film on those players...EDIT: courtesy of Patriot Rein the book

I don't think Fisher had enough of an idea on how to run an offense, to really give Snead templates for players needed to run it. So he told Snead to just get him athletes. I don't even think Fisher knew what blocking scheme he wanted. He drafted big road graders and had them zone blocking. I want a coach that knows what he needs to run a team the way he knows will work. I don't think the GM is as critical if that is what the coach can tell him.

Pool I is much like Snead in that he loves athleticism over all else. That has not exactly worked out. If they hire him they may as well just keep Snead instead. Otherwise go with a guy more like Ballard.

 

[den-the-coach]

I've been out for the holidays. Did I miss something or is this just more BS, presumptive reporting?

It's all speculative, however, very likely the Rams will move on from Snead. Now the question is, which will come first the GM or the Head Coach? Last time they hired the Coach first, this time, they might decide to go with a more conventional paradigm vs. the Patriots way of the Head Coach controlling personnel.

 

[rdlkgliders]

I Just hope we make a change at GM. I like Les but think he is part of the reason we are where we are.

 

[OnceARam]

We have a GM.

His name is Snead.

And I for one would like him to go on the offensive. What does he have to lose?

 

[thirteen28]

I like Snead and would like to see the Rams keep him

We have a GM.

His name is Snead.

Agree. It's hard for me to believe it's merely a coincidence that he's hit on almost all his picks on the side of the ball that has been well-coached during his tenure, and missed on the side that that has been coached terribly. I think there's another answer, because he's not an offensive guy or a defensive guy. He may not have had final say in who was drafted, but he scouted all of these guys.

And I for one would like him to go on the offensive. What does he have to lose?

Who knows, maybe he is doing so behind the scenes. But I will do so on his behalf here.

Brockers, TruJo, JJ, Ogletree, TJMac, MoAlex, Joyner, EJ, AD, Bryant Westbrook. All drafted or signed as UDFA on Snead's watch. None of them is even close to being a bust. EJ has had difficulties this year due to injuries (which I believe are secondary effects from the injury that cost him last season). All the rest of those guys have performed at worst, at a level commensurate with where they were taking in the draft. Most of them have arguably performed above that level.

We know offense has been a mixed bag. But let's do a hypothetical here. Let's say Payton or the Shanahan's come in. Let's say they develop Goff into a quality NFL QB, get Gurley back on track. Let's say that at least some of our OLinemen get coached up to at least a serviceable level. Let's say one of them finally finds a role for Austin in both the passing and running games (something neither Schotty, Cigs, nor Boras could do). Let's say that some of this year's other draft picks - Higbee, Cooper, Thomas, and our prize UDFA, Spruce, become contributors in the offense of Payton/Shanahan. All guys that were scouted by Les and his scouting department.

If that happens, would you still say he deserved to be replaced? If the defensive guys drafted on his watch continue to perform (save for JJ who's gone), and some of offensive guys drafted on his watch perform well under an offensively competent HC with a coherent scheme, are you still going to want him replaced (or be glad he was in the case that he is)? Would love to hear others thoughts on that.

 

[den-the-coach]

We have a GM. His name is Snead.And I for one would like him to go on the offensive. What does he have to lose?

IDK I'd post about 48 games in his five years as General Manager.

 

[Boston Ram]

I don't think Fisher had enough of an idea on how to run an offense, to really give Snead templates for players needed to run it. So he told Snead to just get him athletes. I don't even think Fisher knew what blocking scheme he wanted. He drafted big road graders and had them zone blocking. I want a coach that knows what he needs to run a team the way he knows will work. I don't think the GM is as critical if that is what the coach can tell him.

Pool I is much like Snead in that he loves athleticism over all else. That has not exactly worked out. If they hire him they may as well just keep Snead instead. Otherwise go with a guy more like Ballard.

Well said.

 

[Rmfnlt]

Agree. It's hard for me to believe it's merely a coincidence that he's hit on almost all his picks on the side of the ball that has been well-coached during his tenure, and missed on the side that that has been coached terribly. I think there's another answer, because he's not an offensive guy or a defensive guy. He may not have had final say in who was drafted, but he scouted all of these guys.



Who knows, maybe he is doing so behind the scenes. But I will do so on his behalf here.

Brockers, TruJo, JJ, Ogletree, TJMac, MoAlex, Joyner, EJ, AD, Bryant Westbrook. All drafted or signed as UDFA on Snead's watch. None of them is even close to being a bust. EJ has had difficulties this year due to injuries (which I believe are secondary effects from the injury that cost him last season). All the rest of those guys have performed at worst, at a level commensurate with where they were taking in the draft. Most of them have arguably performed above that level.

We know offense has been a mixed bag. But let's do a hypothetical here. Let's say Payton or the Shanahan's come in. Let's say they develop Goff into a quality NFL QB, get Gurley back on track. Let's say that at least some of our OLinemen get coached up to at least a serviceable level. Let's say one of them finally finds a role for Austin in both the passing and running games (something neither Schotty, Cigs, nor Boras could do). Let's say that some of this year's other draft picks - Higbee, Cooper, Thomas, and our prize UDFA, Spruce, become contributors in the offense of Payton/Shanahan. All guys that were scouted by Les and his scouting department.

If that happens, would you still say he deserved to be replaced? If the defensive guys drafted on his watch continue to perform (save for JJ who's gone), and some of offensive guys drafted on his watch perform well under an offensively competent HC with a coherent scheme, are you still going to want him replaced (or be glad he was in the case that he is)? Would love to hear others thoughts on that.

Rams are 16th in the league in points allowed by our defense.

If that's the best Snead can muster after 5 years, I guess I'm not all that impressed.

Let's not even talk offense...

 

[OldSchool]

Rams are 16th in the league in points allowed by our defense.

If that's the best Snead can muster after 5 years, I guess I'm not all that impressed.

Let's not even talk offense...

Fisher making the picks got him fired. If Snead had made the picks he'd have been fired instead IMO.

 

[Rmfnlt]

Well said.

OK... so let's say Snead drafted "athletes" because Fisher told him to (of course, supposition).

Isn't that pretty easy then?

=======================================================================================

Fisher: "Les, I need offensive linemen this year. Hit the books and get me the ones with the best measurements and performance times"

Snead: "OK, boss man" (goes out and scours stats)

Question is: Can Snead identify players if the criteria is narrowed down a lot?

I dunno.

I do know the athlete thing didn't work out so well in many cases (especially on offense).

One other thought, since we're theorizing here... when it came out that there might be friction between Fisher and Snead, Fisher denied it and said they work together on all the decisions. We're kinda making him sound like an order taker.

 

[Rmfnlt]

Fisher making the picks got him fired. If Snead had made the picks he'd have been fired instead IMO.

That's the problem... we don't know how much input Snead really had.

Fisher said they made the decisions together. If that's true, then Snead holds some responsibility, no?

If Fisher made all the decisions, how do we know how good Snead may (or may not) be?

 

[FRO]

Les Snead has had 19 top 100 picks, 11 top 50 picks, 6 top 15 picks, 4 top 10 picks, and 2 top 2 picks. If you want to blame it all on Fisher, be my guest. I don't. This is a 4-12 team after having a slew of top picks to rebuild the team. I give nobody a pass. Time to rebuild, again.

 

[LesBaker]

Yeah... maybe this.

I know Bellichik has a lot of say with regard to personnel. And, of course, he develops the schemes and game plans (or has a heavy hand in them).

So how much of the success in NE is the GM really?

That's my concern with bringing on anyone from NE.

How the gauge the "Bellichick factor".

Also any success in BALT is Ozzie, he makes the final calls on players. Other than QB which he allows the HC to select.

 

[jrry32]

I'm not interested in Pioli. His tenure in KC was bad. And he reportedly clashed with HC Todd Haley. No thank you.

 

[TheDYVKX]

Not a fan of Pioli but I'd love Ballard. Only heard great things about him.

If we did hire say, McDaniels and he wanted to bring in a former NE guy, I'd want Nick Caserio for sure. He seems to be on the up and up and I do like that he's worked with players as a coach before, and specifically was a WR coach for one of the best offenses of all time in the 2007 Patriots. He's had the opportunity to learn from both Pioli and Belichick, both mistakes and successes, and he apparently is a guy Belichick really trusts from both a scouting and a coaching perspective. He's also worked directly with McDaniels before so if that was the route we went, you wouldn't have to worry about a poor relationship or a power struggle.

 

[thirteen28]

Rams are 16th in the league in points allowed by our defense.

If that's the best Snead can muster after 5 years, I guess I'm not all that impressed.

Let's not even talk offense...

Your entire analysis in that post is based on a snapshot. I can counter with another one -Rams were 5th in points allowed after 10 games.

Now tell me - which of his defensive draft picks is a bust? In fact, which ones are underachieving relative to their draft position?

 

[thirteen28]

Pool I is much like Snead in that he loves athleticism over all else. That has not exactly worked out. If they hire him they may as well just keep Snead instead. Otherwise go with a guy more like Ballard.

But again, is that Snead's call? On defense they have drafted NFL ready players. The athletes emphasis was primarily on offense.

 

[den-the-coach]

This off the Herd Board, no link because it was on the Radio.

Bill Plaschke on 750 AM: Sneads a Goner

He just said that they've kept Snead to "do paperwork and stuff, but he is gone on Sunday night".....says he talks to Demoff frequently and Demoff will choose the new coach.