McVay: OC Kevin O'Connell "has a huge say and a huge influence on how we want to operate”

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ROD-BOT

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McVay: OC Kevin O'Connell "has a huge say and a huge influence on how we want to operate”

In January, it was reported that Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell had been blocked from interviewing for that same position with another NFL team.

More than a month later, Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed it was true – and done for a good reason.

"Kevin's a great coach," McVay said during a video conference last Thursday. "He's our offensive coordinator. He has a huge say and a huge influence on how we want to operate, and I think even more so moving forward."

In their first season working together, McVay and O'Connell helped the Rams produce the No. 11 total offense in the NFL at 377 yards per game. Additionally, while O'Connell didn't explicitly have quarterbacks coach in his title, he was responsible for overseeing and working directly with the group.

Given his contributions in those roles and how well they worked together, O'Connell was someone McVay did not want to lose this offseason.

"I was really excited about the opportunity to be able to work with him in year two, continue to collaborate, learn from him," McVay said. "He understands how valuable he is to me and to the Rams and we talked about all those things, but I think it's a credit to the respect that he's garnered around the league. What I would say is he's our OC and that's why we blocked him (laughs)."

O'Connell was the Rams' first full-time offensive coordinator on staff since his first season as head coach (2017), when current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur served in that role before being hired as the Titans' next offensive coordinator in 2018.

Even though LaFleur's move at the time technically could have been considered a lateral move – like O'Connell's would've been this year – McVay did not block it because he strongly believes in helping coaches grow. McVay was, and still is, Los Angeles' offensive play-caller, and not blocking the move allowed LaFleur to move from a non-playcalling offensive coordinator job with L.A. to a playcalling one with Tennessee.

Will that precedent – along with O'Connell's aforementioned value and influence – collectively translate to increased opportunities for him to call plays this upcoming season?

"Yeah, those are things you always talk about," McVay said. "I think each situation is independent. I don't think you ever want to pigeonhole yourself into (a role). Kevin and I had a lot of great dialogue and I'm always going to listen. I'm not interested in losing a coach to go do that same role and I'm not naive to the fact that the play calling, and those things are very important and when that situation came up with Matt, we talked about that. Kevin and I have had great conversations, but I would like to think that anybody that's been a part of this Rams' building knows that there is an investment in us trying to help guys continue to grow and if opportunities that they have outside this building don't exist in-house, then usually that's when we're going to let guys go, even if it doesn't help the Rams and that's kind of been the approach."

Regardless of the scope of potential playcalling duties, O'Connell will continue to be an important voice for Los Angeles' offense approaching Year 2 on its staff.

"I would like to think that he and I both are really excited about the opportunities that we have moving forward working with the offensive coaches, these players and what next year can look like for us with him leading the way offensively," McVay said.
 

Merlin

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I do think it is shitty that Staley made the Rams block him. A simple no from the Rams would have been enough for me to look elsewhere if I'm Staley.

Rams treated him well. Hired him without a ton of experience and got him what he needed for a top unit. Strikes me as a jerk move to attempt an official hire.
 

ottoman89

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I do think it is shitty that Staley made the Rams block him. A simple no from the Rams would have been enough for me to look elsewhere if I'm Staley.

Rams treated him well. Hired him without a ton of experience and got him what he needed for a top unit. Strikes me as a jerk move to attempt an official hire.
I'm still upset he left. Can't blame him though! But yeah, I figured he'd come after that KoC.
 

Malibu

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They blocked the wrong guy!!! They should have blocked Staley I could care less that he was going for a HC position. McVay/Snead invested in him he was a nobody hardly an OLB coach not exactly high on the depth chart of football life. McVay gave him an opportunity especially with Donald, Ramsey, JWill, Brockers, JJ3 etc a lot of great firepower which basically he used as currency to move up. If he was that good he would be in demand in several years from now. Now we need to bring in a new DC the players/McVay need to learn how to operate with him there is no continuity and possibly a drop off. Royalty needs to count for something especially when Staley needed the Rams a hell of a lot more than the Rams needed him.

I wish O'connell hadn't been blocked - let's compare him to Staley. O'connell caused the team with a healthier OL and RB than 2019 managed to help us score less than the previous year. He created a different scheme for Goff dink and dunk. We now had to dump Goff and incur a bunch of dead cap etc Staley on the other hand took our good D and made it the best D Wade had most of the same pieces.
 

rams1fan

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I do think it is shitty that Staley made the Rams block him. A simple no from the Rams would have been enough for me to look elsewhere if I'm Staley.

Rams treated him well. Hired him without a ton of experience and got him what he needed for a top unit. Strikes me as a jerk move to attempt an official hire.
Nah. I do not think he would have tried to bring Oconnell unless Oconnell had already said he wanted to come along. Also McVay hired a number of coaches off the redskins staff that he used to work with.
 

Mackeyser

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They blocked the wrong guy!!! They should have blocked Staley I could care less that he was going for a HC position. McVay/Snead invested in him he was a nobody hardly an OLB coach not exactly high on the depth chart of football life. McVay gave him an opportunity especially with Donald, Ramsey, JWill, Brockers, JJ3 etc a lot of great firepower which basically he used as currency to move up. If he was that good he would be in demand in several years from now. Now we need to bring in a new DC the players/McVay need to learn how to operate with him there is no continuity and possibly a drop off. Royalty needs to count for something especially when Staley needed the Rams a hell of a lot more than the Rams needed him.

I wish O'connell hadn't been blocked - let's compare him to Staley. O'connell caused the team with a healthier OL and RB than 2019 managed to help us score less than the previous year. He created a different scheme for Goff dink and dunk. We now had to dump Goff and incur a bunch of dead cap etc Staley on the other hand took our good D and made it the best D Wade had most of the same pieces.

They couldn't block Staley as he was being promoted to a HC position. Can't block those.

Also O'Connell wasn't the issue and many of the adjustments were a direct reaction to Goff not processing fast enough which led to missing open receivers, attempting bad passes and/or not reacting to the defense fast enough. Goff's a good QB, but as we're learning more and more, McVay's offense isn't a basic WCO. It's complicated and requires someone more like Stafford.

What really excites me is that McVay's creativity will really be challenged now.

The big question will be the OL and how the team navigates the FA period and the draft.
 

Ramer

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Translation..... he will be hired next year as a head coach :unsure:
 

dieterbrock

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McVay has let coaches go without giving it a thought. And this is the guy he breaks his code for? That tells me that there is something special about O'Connell.
Or of course it could mean that he is incredibly spiteful, but I dont want to go there....
 

So Ram

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Listening to HBO hard knocks the podcast episode 02. Interesting takes.
I come away with Mcvay trusting Goff & asking him to get the playoff faster.
Mcvay asking him what took so long.Goff said he had to here it twice.
That’s okay the first week,but The Rams have always been solid not taking delay of game penalties.Last season was so much different.Mcvay started using timeouts again after Goff was taking to many.
 

So Ram

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Adding this was Kevin O’Connell’s first year.I don’t know how much he was in the Mic ?
 

PressureD41

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I think McVay blocking Kevin O'Connell had more to do w/ the number of coaches leaving us in one season. McVay pretty much knew Morris was coming and keeping Kevin to help oversee all the new hires was the right move for us. Having Morris and Connell as his main guys overseeing their side of the ball was critical for the success of the team this coming season.
McVay could let Morris and Connell over see while being able to help groom the new hires was wise.
Just my 2 cents
 

leoram

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None of us fans know the exact dynamics among the coaching staff because the Rams are so good about keeping things internal so I admit the following is pure speculation based on my logic only.

I posted last year that the hiring of Staley signaled a desire by McVay to take more control of both sides of the ball. While Staley was the defensive coordinator, I believe the final product was a collaboration of his and McVay's vision for a defense being more multiple. The Super Bowl loss was instructive. Belichick was able to pivot to a completely different scheme for that game and McVay wanted the ability to do the same. He knows what concepts give him the most problems on game day. The Chicago loss was a fresh memory of that. But being that involved in the defense (along with the additional pressures of COVID) meant he had to divide his attention to the detriment of the offense.

The hiring of Morris signals the opportunity to entrust the new defensive structure and philosophy to a veteran coach who needs little to no supervision. The combination of O'Connell and Stafford affords McVay the ability to become more of a big picture guy who can focus more on concepts rather than details. He will probably continue to call plays but entrust O'Connell to handle the play's implementation. He needs a strong voice in dissent if he misses something (which is even more important with Kromer gone). These I believe are the new dynamics. Does anyone have a different theory?
 

Malibu

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They couldn't block Staley as he was being promoted to a HC position. Can't block those.

Also O'Connell wasn't the issue and many of the adjustments were a direct reaction to Goff not processing fast enough which led to missing open receivers, attempting bad passes and/or not reacting to the defense fast enough. Goff's a good QB, but as we're learning more and more, McVay's offense isn't a basic WCO. It's complicated and requires someone more like Stafford.

What really excites me is that McVay's creativity will really be challenged now.

The big question will be the OL and how the team navigates the FA period and the draft.
Such crap. Goff had no problem in 17 & 18 he even made the pro bowl both seasons with a McVay Offense which was not a west coast offense.

Goff had problems specifically just like Machines did in the Superbowl because both had no OL good enough to hold up in pass protection simple as that!

As far as blocking Staley I would of signed him to a multi year deal with the Rams only having the outs so he couldn't leave. Like I keep saying if he is that good the HCing gig will always be there in several off-seasons from now. He was a fucking nobody going nowhere when McVay plucked him out of obscurity. Totally insulting that he left after 1 year.
 

FrantikRam

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Such crap. Goff had no problem in 17 & 18 he even made the pro bowl both seasons with a McVay Offense which was not a west coast offense.

Goff had problems specifically just like Machines did in the Superbowl because both had no OL good enough to hold up in pass protection simple as that!

As far as blocking Staley I would of signed him to a multi year deal with the Rams only having the outs so he couldn't leave. Like I keep saying if he is that good the HCing gig will always be there in several off-seasons from now. He was a fucking nobody going nowhere when McVay plucked him out of obscurity. Totally insulting that he left after 1 year.


By the time the Super Bowl rolled around, Mahomes was missing 4 of his 6 best linemen - two to opt out and two to injury. Goff has never in his time with McVay played with an OL that bad. Not even close.

Multi year deal or not, you cant block a guy from getting promoted. It's not insulting at all - that McVays tree keeps growing is in an indication that he's a top flight coach
 

FrantikRam

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Such crap. Goff had no problem in 17 & 18 he even made the pro bowl both seasons with a McVay Offense which was not a west coast offense.

Goff had problems specifically just like Machines did in the Superbowl because both had no OL good enough to hold up in pass protection simple as that!

As far as blocking Staley I would of signed him to a multi year deal with the Rams only having the outs so he couldn't leave. Like I keep saying if he is that good the HCing gig will always be there in several off-seasons from now. He was a fucking nobody going nowhere when McVay plucked him out of obscurity. Totally insulting that he left after 1 year.


Also, there were problems with Goff in 2018. Fans just chose not to see it because we were winning. McVay is not a fan though and if it bothered me at times, it damn sure bothered him.