It could be, but McVay doesn't trade or make moves unless it's useful to the team. Sending Stafford elsewhere does nothing but close our window to win unless he has a plan to bring Mahomes here.
The entire current Rams organization is built around McVay. He strategizes with Les. Les then finds the solutions closest to what his coach desires because he knows the league GMs, and values of players and picks in team building, and the draft. They make a very strong team. But if push comes to shove the organization is still aligned around McVay. Every player they cut bait on it is because the Coach says it's time. Not because Les says it. That is not his role and it's an important distinction.
Les runs the drafts and rightly so. But McVay drives what they are after. Just like Fisher did before him. And when McVay gets a bit nuts with shit I am sure Les reigns him in or tries to. Les is a talented GM overall. But McVay is a Hall of Fame coach. Perspective is something fans lose quite often on this I think.
Re: Stafford I agree and have said as much myself. But what the Rams are doing is projecting their window and asking themselves what it looks like a year from now, two years from now, etc. If the strength of the overall roster requires a LT, for example, as well as a pass game stud to replace Kupp, that means they need two big time first round pieces that are probably needed as early in the draft as possible. Which means just for the LT alone they may need to move up, which itself means they might need to give up additional picks including futures. From there what does Stafford look like when the roster arrives.
Now if they believe in Jackson at LT things are more manageable. Then all they need is the offensive weapon. But I don't think they trust Jackson. I certainly don't, not after he just got suspended for the first two fucking games and piled on our woes right out the gate. We can see the wear and tear on Stafford from that Detroit game as the season has unfolded. If they do, however, then they can easily find a weapon and maybe even a QB2 type to stick behind him who might develop into a game manager type starter.
So I don't want to trade Stafford or Kupp for the record. But I'm not the dude looking at wins/losses from a window perspective over the next, oh I don't know, let's say 4 years. If McVay is willing to finish this rebuild and ride that window, then maybe he's thinking "ok Les it's time to rip the bandaid off." It seems radical but then again McVay is bold as hell. This is the guy who moved Goff a year after paying him. He is completely ruthless and that ruthlessness is one of his strengths. Hope this all blows over and is just media nonsense but I've learned not to underestimate McVay & Snead. They're on a different level.
