Why I love the LA Rams new TE hire from Patriots

If you examine the positional groups from the LA Rams, you will notice an undeniable pattern developing. A number of position groups did not develop or progress in 2022. In truth, the opposite is true, and positions that the Rams counted on to develop quickly actually regressed. So the Rams are making it a point of emphasis this year to ensure that they have the right coaches for the job.

By all accounts, the LA Rams got a very good one in their latest hiring. NBA Sports NFL Insider Albert Breer has reported that the LA Rams are hiring former New England Patriots tight end coach Nick Caley as their new tight end coach.

Why are the LA Rams hiring a tight-end coach? Well, the truth of the matter is that the Rams retreated in 2022 from their position of RB Coach Thomas Brown taking over at the tight end position. The running back position fell apart, which necessitated Brown resuming his RB coach role, creating a need for an official TE coach.

Rams hire TE coach

In a moment, we’ll share why this is such a solid hire:

Caley has been the Patriots’ tight end coach as well as fullbacks coach for the New England Patriots since 2017. With that timeline, he was the tight end coach for the Patriots’ great tight end, Rob Gronkowski. He was also the tight end coach for tight end Hunter Henry, a tight end who earned lots of respect with the LA Chargers.

Positional coaches do not get a lot of love from fans, and that is certainly the case for some fans of the Patriots who witnessed the lack of production from the Patriots’ drafted tight ends.  But the draft classes for the tight end position have been a bit of a hit-or-miss in recent years. And who can truly follow in the footsteps of Rob Gronkowski? In short, some Patriots fans had expectations that were ultimately too high for the new players added to their roster.

Reasons you may love this hire

Okay, so the LA Rams have hired a new offensive positional coach. What makes this guy so special? Or better yet, what makes this coach the right hire for the LA Rams offense? Well, anything that is stated is based on presumption and conjecture, and that makes it tough to dislodge the mindset of anyone who has their heels dug in and their mind made up that this is a bad hire.

So what I propose is pointing to some of those attributes/qualities that many have pointed to as a need for the Rams offense going forward. Let’s dig in:

I: Return Thomas Brown to RB

With his arrival, the Rams can repurpose RB coach Thomas Brown at what he does best, coach the running backs. That gives the tight ends and any potential fullback who may appear on the roster, a fresh look at the position and refresh everyone’s upside. We witnessed how quickly the LA Rams RB Cam Akers pivoted from a dumpster fire to one of the most productive RBs in the final three games of the NFL season. Regardless of what Caley brings to the tight-end role, the running backs will be better off under the watch of Thomas Brown once more.

II: The offense gets a new voice

It was clear that the LA Rams’ tight end position lost its shine in 2022, and this hire is a step in the right direction to turning that decline into a positive trend. It also is proof positive that Rams head coach Sean McVay is absolutely intent on bringing different perspectives and voices to his offensive coaching council, as Caley has worked exclusively with the Patriots throughout his NFL career.

III: FB option?

We had speculated that the LA Rams offensive rushing attack could be getting a new breath of life with the hiring of new offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. This hire seems to add even more confidence in the Rams taking their running back position far more seriously. Does that mean a fullback in the Rams’ offense? Or perhaps simply a bigger running back? (I.E. a back who weighs more than 220 pounds and stands taller than 6-foot-0).

More reasons to love Nick Caley’s hire

Whether or not you agree with the first three reasons, here is a fundamental reason that is the basic reason why I love this hire. The LA Rams have hired one of the hotter names among the NFL coaching circles as a lateral hire. The Rams have long been a coaching staff that has scrambled to fill the vacancies left by other NFL teams cannibalizing their coaches. In this hire, the Rams have become the poacher and lured a solid coach away from a good NFL team.

But if you need more reasons, here are some more:

IV: A hot coach from Bill Belichick’s coaching tree

The reason that the New England Patriots have been so very successful is the fact that, much like the Rams, Bill Belichick hires excellent coaches for his staff. Now the Rams will have that coaching style grafted into their own coaching room, which in the opinion of many is an incredible get. He was an offensives coordinator candidate for the New England Patriots, the New York Jets, and the Houston Texans.  Now he brings that respect and reputation to the LA Rams offense.

V: Rams have some TE talent

The LA Rams’ tight end room possesses far more talent than just starting TE Tyler Higbee. The Rams have Brycen Hopkins in the final year of his contract, and recently signed Jared Pinkney to the active roster. The team also signed Roger Carter Jr., who the coaches have been impressed with, to a Reserve/Future contract. If there is a need for more players, the 2023 NFL Draft is loaded with talent at the position. The fact that Caley has focused on the tight end for the past six seasons automatically positions him as an expert at the position.

That will be crucial as the Rams seek to restock talent to their roster and reformulate an offense to be more than a Matthew Stafford pass-to-Cooper Kupp strategy. The LA Rams has a tsunami of bad breaks, bad luck, bad timing, and just bad injuries. It seems to me that the Rams have been decisive and measured in their hires so far, and they seem to make plenty of sense in terms of what the Rams want to do in 2023.

Will it all work? Time will tell. But I for one love the hire of Nick Caley as the LA Rams tight end coach, and I hope that I’ve given you reasons to feel good about it as well.