Rams Sean McVay playing with house money this season, but not next

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay knows 2017 will have its challenges, but not enough for his job to be on the line year one in LA.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is not a coach who’s on a pending “hot seat” should 2017 go up in smoke. As a matter of fact, the idea he’d be named in a story about coaches who have a lot on the line this season is borderline absurd. But it’s June, and this is what happens in that dead zone of time where it’s only speculation, and nothing else.

Related Story: Write for Ramblin' Fan!

As I’ve written, McVay is the most safe of any coach named in that story. He’s likely the safest employee in the Rams organization next to owner Stan Kroenke and team COO Kevin Demoff. He’s safer than GM Les Snead and last year’s first overall draft pick Jared Goff.

He’s THAT safe.

McVay is playing with house money in his first season in LA. Given his defensive coordinator Wade Phillips anchoring one half of the team, McVay is free to figure out the many question marks on the offensive side of the football he’ll need to correct for this team to win.

And there are plenty.

I’ve said all during this offseason that this year is about determining whether Goff is the real deal or not. He has what is basically a fresh start with a new staff, and he’ll get EVERY opportunity to keep the starting job. But don’t expect McVay to go down with that ship should it begin to take on water. It’s more than logical that he’d jettison the second year quarterback for a third year quarterback in Sean Mannion. Same will go for running back Todd Gurley.

Bottom line, it’s whoever plays best, will play. McVay is tied to no one on that roster from 2016 or before.

But it’s only one season. The bar is low in LA and we should all remember that. The expectations are as such that if it’s no better than last year, the cord will be cut wherever it needs to be. It’s a one season reset, and that’s it.

McVay has little to worry about in 2017 in that everyone kind of knows what this team is and is not. We’ll get a referendum on a lot of other names before this head coach.

Next: NFL Power Rankings: Rams OTAs edition

But after this season it’ll be a different story.

THAT’S when you can start the clock on the McVay tenure in Los Angeles.