How will LA Rams Matthew Stafford work w rumored OC Mike LaFleur?

The LA Rams are starting to work on their 2023 NFL season. This is a full month ahead of last year’s official schedule, and if you factor in the post-game celebrations, interviews, and victory parade, more like two months ahead of schedule. And then factor in all of the injuries that the LA Rams played through, and some of the Rams players are about four or five months ahead of where they were just a year ago.

Life comes at you fast. And right now, events are rocketing past at lightning speed. This is the way things go for the NFL teams that are not competing in the NFL Playoffs. As other teams compete and slowly join the teams that are sitting this one out by losing and not advancing, more and more of those teams are reforming their coaching staff, resetting their rosters, and ultimately getting their house in order for the NFL Free Agency market and the 2023 NFL Draft.

McVay is back, and so is Stafford

And now that LA Rams HC Sean McVay is back, the team can begin the process of preparing for 2023. But look for some changes…er, I hope that some changes are in store.

Now that Sean McVay has decided to return to the Rams for 2023, Matthew Stafford will be next. The Rams are expected to pick up Stafford’s 2023 option bonus and 2024 salary - a combined $62 million guaranteed - by the third day of the league year.https://t.co/9zLMCEDDB9
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2023

Why did I backtrack? Well, for starters the LA Rams are now rumored to hire former Jets offensive coordinator Mike LeFleur. While he is certainly a worthwhile NFL offensive coordinator who was the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets, for two seasons and involved in NFL offensive coaching for nine seasons. He was the passing game coordinator for two seasons with the San Franciso 49ers before his Jets OC role, as he followed Robert Saleh to the Jets when Saleh was hired on as their new head coach:

Sounds like Mike LaFleur could soon be taking the Rams OC job.

Figured he’d have plenty of options. That’s an A+ landing spot for him. https://t.co/z45KCTwDp7
— The Jet Press (@TheJetPress) January 14, 2023

The ideal candidates in my mind were those candidates who could reason with and actually form independent arguments over how to handle the Rams offense going forward. The Rams had two other offensive coordinator options: Frank Reich and Kliff Kingsbury. Reich is an astute offensive mind whose veteran leadership is well-documented and established.

Kingsbury, despite his self-imposed exile to Thailand, would have talked with his good friend Sean McVay about a chance to compete in the NFC West in 2023. Had that conversation ever taken place, I’m not sure that Kingsbury ends up flying.

But the Rams are close to adding Mike LaFleur. So what can the team look for in terms of new offensive wrinkles?

McVay is back, and so is Stafford

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