Here's why we told you to keep Rams Nate Scheelhaase on your radar

There is a silver lining to the Los Angeles Rams annual struggle to retain quality coaches. It seems that no matter which NFL team is seeking a change to its coaching staff, inevitably they start shopping by interviewing rising star coaches who are learning from HC Sean McVay. That happens even if the head coach is hired from the coaching staff of some other team.

One of the rising stars in the Rams' offices is former offensive assistant Nate Scheelhaase. If you do not recognize the name, you must be new here. We've touted the benefits of hiring the former Iowa State offensive coordinator since the day he joined the Rams coaching staff. Scheelhaase worked with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, affording the Rams more insight into what their bitter NFL West Division rivals can and cannot do when their offense has possession of the football.

And then there is the entire other level of intel the Rams inherit with Scheelhaase over several intriguing players in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Iowa State Cyclones boast multiple players up for consideration in the draft. The primary rookie prospects who are getting plenty of discussion are WR Jayden Higgins, WR Jaylin Noel, CB Darien Porter, S Malik Verdon, and OT Jalen Travis.

While the Rams may not emerge with any Iowa State rookie prospects from this year's draft, that will not be due to the lack of information about the players. In fact, the knowledge of Scheelhaase about opponents will undoubtedly be valuable insight that will aid the team in ordering the draft board.

But when it comes down to it, the Rams young offensive rising star had multiple opportunities to venture out on his own in the NFL. To counter his exodus, the Rams promoted Scheelhaase to the role of Offensive Passing Game Coordinator. To some, that promotion may sound more like a title change that additional responsibilities, but I don't think that's how the Rams roll. HC Sean McVay may be well-versed in his knowledge of NFL offensive strategies, both past and present, but he is open-minded enough to recognize the value of new perspectives.

Couple that with Scheelhaase's popularity among other NFL teams, and you quickly understand why the Rams promotion is more than a title change:

Okay, the NFL and the Rams love him. But why should fans love him? Have no fear—we have some solid reasons why fans should put him on their radar. As much as HC Sean McVay has a fine eye for football detail, he can only design his plays to do so much. That is why the move to swap out former QB Jared Goff for current starting QB Matthew Stafford was such an important personnel change. McVay needs Stafford's ability to innovate to optimize his offense.

Scheelhaase brings that same spark of innovation to the whiteboard. How much innovation will the team permit in 2025? We have already a change of direction, as the team deliberately moved on from veteran WR Cooper Kupp and added WR Davante Adams. Adams brings a new offensive philosophy to the Rams offense. He has unmatchable skills at creating separation at the line of scrimmage. He is quite proficient as a high-volume receiver. And this offense has never had a wide receiver with his abilities before.

Are the Rams migrating to a new style of offense? Rams GM Les Snead believes that is happening, and shared those thoughts on a recent Pat McAfee podcast:

The Rams ramped up the sense of urgency to get All-Pro DT Aaron Donald a Super Bowl ring. Now, the team appears to be chasing the vision of HC Sean McVay. And Pass Game Coordinator Nate Scheelhaase appears to be vital to the team's plans of realizing that vision.

As always, thanks for reading.

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