Los Angeles Rams: Winning will not be the only thing to attract top veteran players

The Los Angeles Rams are changing the way an NFL team does business, especially in the preseason, making LA a potential spot top veteran players will find very desirable.

If the Los Angeles Rams manage to go on a magical run this season, stay healthy, and maybe challenge for an NFC Championship or even a Super Bowl, they will become the destination top veteran players will flock to.

Think, as Rams head coach Sean McVay gives his starters a pass in the preseason and General Manager Les Snead collects high caliber type players via free agency, the prospects of winning in a “players environment” will certainly give LA an edge in any offseason.

Then you have that whole Southern California thing.

Los Angeles looks to become the template a lot of teams may use come 2019 and beyond, especially if the Rams keep up their winning ways.

One thing fans and those in the NFL media have taken notice of is a specific methodology for how the Rams are doing business. McVay and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips are every bit the players type coaches veterans will want to play for. It’s also an environment conducive to a new wave of players not looking for the pressure cooker of a New England Patriots type of locker room.

That means something these days.

Winning at all costs doesn’t appear to be the bottom line players, especially top veteran players are looking for these days. But coaches like McVay and organization like the Rams have a new angle worth looking at.

The Rams aren’t necessarily breaking new ground. All they’ve done is acknowledge that exhibition football is an absolute sham. Forcing top tier players to get in a few snaps seems antiquated, and Los Angeles is far more interesting in keeping players healthy (as best they can) for 16 games.

Toss in an organization who is locked into a win now philosophy, and LA is the place to be.

If everything manages to hold, and the Rams make that run, selling a “Rams Way” will be pretty easy and provide a winning edge a lot of other teams will be hard pressed to match.