One and done, LA Rams RB coach Ra’Shaad Samples to ASU

With the challenges that faced the LA Rams running game this season, I had suspicions that the team would be moving in a different direction regarding the RB positional coach this offseason. And those suspicions were confirmed, albeit a bit sooner than expected, by the latest report from On 3 Sports reporter, Matt Zenitz.

Some have speculated that there had been a less than a collaborative relationship between Samples and LA Rams RB Cam Akers, but I could not confirm those speculations. Instead, we know that Arizona State University appears to have placed an offer for Samples to join the coaching staff as a wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator. And that offer is being accepted:

Samples accepted the job to join the LA Rams coaching staff despite having just accepted a role on the TCU coaching staff. This news comes at a point in the season where the Rams have five games remaining on the schedule to be played in the 2022 NFL season.

The decision by Samples to accept a new coaching role no doubt was based on his discussions with the LA Rams organization, and the likelihood of an increased, or even continued role with the Rams in 2023 and beyond. And with this move, you now have to wonder about the future of other offensive positional coaches. Will the Rams be satisfied with an offense that had struggled to put up points this season?

While the Rams wide receivers coach Eric Yarber is safe, what of offensive line coach Kevin Carberry? After all, after the Rams’ offensive linemen began to fall to injury, many of the backups seemed ill-prepared to assume their place in the offensive line. Will the Rams retain their offensive line coach for another season? What of the tight ends, a group that seemed to regress this under the watch of highly respected TE Coach Thomas Brown? For that matter, did the Rams offense falter as a result of offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s inability to translate Head Coach Sean McVay’s schemes into NFL Game Day production?

Is this simply a matter of a better offer coming along? Or was this a result of an imminent change in the coaching staff leading to a new role for an outbound coach? If it’s the latter scenario, will more coaching changes take place in the offseason?  Stay tuned . . .