Can the LA Rams overcome this many defections?

Somehow, the LA Rams have become a significant source of front office and coaching talent in the NFL and NCAA football industries. How did this happen? Well, the Rams are a big market football team, they have had a string of good seasons, and the team boasted the top-ranked NFL defense. So the Rams are rich in the following areas that other teams covet: Player development, defensive strategy, roster building, creating a positive culture, and integrating technological advances into the day to day operations of running a football team.

The LA Rams have already lost the following front office personnel: Former LA Rams’ Director of College Scouting Brad Holmes has taken on the role of General Manger for the Detroit Lions. He has recruited former LA Rams’ Director of Player Personnel Ray Agnew to join him as assistant General Manager of the Lions.

Former LA Rams assistant quarterbacks coach Liam Coen has agreed to become the University of Kentucky’s Offensive coordinator. Coen has been sought for the role before, and was offered the opportunity to serve as the offensive coordinator for Boston College in 2018, but he declined and remained with the Rams.

Quarterback controversy

With the increased scrutiny of the Rams quarterback position, Coen may be taking a new position now to skirt the drama that has descended upon the Rams quarterbacking future.  The public comments by head coach Sean McVay suggests that much of his focus this offseason will be on the quarterback position. Whether that means a renewed effort to help starting quarterback Jared Goff, or to move in a new direction, remains to be seen.

Of course, the LA Rams also lost defensive coordinator Brandon Staley and linebackers coach Joe Barry to the LA Chargers.  That will hurt the Rams efforts this offseason to restock the defense, and particularly the depleted linebacker depth on the roster.  The LA Rams project to lose four linebackers to free agency this offseason, with only  six remaining.

Of course, that is one of the contributing factors to believe that the Rams may switch to a 4-3 defense this season. But that is still subject to confirmation, particularly in light of the fact that the Rams will need to hire at least one critical positional coach.

More defections?

But there are more possible defections around the corner. Do you recall how the Seattle Seahawks fired their offensive coordinator after losing to the Rams in the wildcard round? Well, that seems to have opened the Rams up to another defection, this time Rams passing game coordinator Shane Waldron is interviewing with the Seahawks to fill their vacated offensive coordinator role.

So that would mean the Rams have lost their assistant quarterback coach, and now the pass-game coordinator is interviewing for a job with a division rival? Something is most definitely afoot, as we suggested in our article about the Rams signing former Steelers QB Devlin Hodges to a reserve/futures contract. Are the Rams about to move in a new direction at the quarterback position? Certainly the signs so far are bread crumbs leading one to speculate that is the ultimate outcome.

Or it just the coincidence of unrelated changes that happen each season?  The Rams have been a solid incubation chamber for successful coaches in the NFL. Now, the league is tapping the team’s personnel executives as well. Case in point, the Jacksonville Jaguars are interviewing for a General Manager, and Rams’ personnel consultant Ray Farmer has been interviewed for that position as well.  The Jaguars have not yet made a decision on filling that position as of the date of publication of this article.

Unpleasant news about Pleasant

Finally, Rams cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant is interviewing for the Detroit Lions’ secondary coach position. Losing Pleasant will compound the Rams defensive woes, as the team has benefited greatly from Pleasant’s ability to coach up defensive backs into NFL-ready players. He did an excellent job in 2019 when he restitched the Rams secondary after the team lost starting cornerback Aqib Talib to injured reserve for the season, and traded away ill-fitting cornerback Marcus Peters.

But he did a phenomenal job of coaching up cornerback Darious Williams, a player claimed from the Baltimore Ravens waiver wire in 2018, into a star cornerback for the Rams in 2020.  Now the Rams face an uncertain future, with five fewer key contributors who could balloon up to eight fewer persons in a matter of days.  And the Rams have not even gotten to the NFL Free Agency market yet, where they are projected to lose 18 players.

The Rams are, once more, enduring a bit of upheaval. Front office executives and coaches are cashing in their chips quickly to land big paydays thanks to their association with the LA Rams and the success that the Rams have enjoyed in recent years. Can the Rams survive so many defections in one year? I believe that they can.

And the pattern of the defections fall into two categories: Either the executives/coaches are cashing in on the fact that the Rams built the top-ranked defense on minimal draft picks and salary cap budget, or the coaches who are associated with the Rams passing game/quarterback position are on the move. Something is building. Stay tuned!