3 Rams who I would invite to my Thanksgiving Day table

Guest III: GM Les Snead

So far, we have covered passion and generosity. But what about the ability to handle the worst of circumstances with intelligence and objective assessment? For that seat, we have to offer it to LA Rams general manager Les Snead. After all, the architect of the LA Rams rosters for both Super Bowl LIII and Super Bowl LVI were drawn up by this guy. And he did so with limited cap space, limited draft picks, and a little bit of high-stakes luck.

Les Snead is not the most animated personality when speaking, but even when he tries not to share he often gives a strong sense of knowledge about almost every NFL situation and resolution that the LA Rams have at their disposal.

Snead has not had an easy time with things. The Rams wanted to lock down RB Todd Gurley, WR Brandin Cooks, and QB Jared Goff on lucrative long-term contracts. A year later, the Rams wanted to be rid of all three players. That forced the Rams to take significant hits to their salary cap.

But the ever-resourceful Rams GM had plenty of tricks up his sleeve and was able to rebuild the Rams roster despite being handicapped with money and with available draft picks. Just three years after a disappointing defeat in Super Bowl LIII, the Rams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at the conclusion of Super Bowl LVI, an even more spectacular feat because the Rams won at the very own SoFi Stadium.

Les Snead is incredibly intelligent and is someone who has probably forgotten more things about the NFL than I will ever hope to know. But on this Thanksgiving Day, it’s all about just conversational football. Which NFL trends are the most likely to stick around? What positions in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft appear to be the deepest and most talented?

In the end, it’s not about the achievements you accomplish in your life that you treasure most, but the relationships and friendships that you forge that you will value most as you get older. Even without knowing them personally, I have enjoyed reading about and covering these three Rams as much as anyone. And while I don’t expect any to take a seat for Thanksgiving Dinner this year, this is an invitation to do so.

Happy Thanksgiving to all today.  Remember to not only give thanks for things today, but also for the people who are most important in your lives as well.