Don't overlook this under-the-radar hire to the Rams coaching staff

While the LA Rams played very well in 2023, there is plenty of vibrant dialogue going on right now among fans over the best course of action to improve the team for 2024. Did the Rams offensive line show enough in 2023 to warrant bringing everyone back for 2024? If not feasible, who and how does the team backfill the vacancies? Do the Rams need to restock defensive backs in a secondary that was better than expected, but not as proficient as some had hoped? Do the Rams need to invest in a veteran pass rusher, or sink their hopes that incredible rookie stars of 2023 will play even better this year?

But perhaps the elephant in the room is the status of the Rams quarterback room and the succession plan that surely must be installed this season. But even beyond the team's plan to buoy the next step of the quarterback position in terms of present-day backup, there is an uneasy feeling for the team's tight end position. With the Rams facing injuries with starting TE Tyler Higbee and backup TE Hunter Long, the hopes for 2024 are primarily invested in the hopes that rookie TE Davis Allen can handle a greater workload in 2024.

Two roles with one hire

The team certainly attacked many of the perceived vulnerabillites on the returning Rams roster by hiring excellent coaches to the staff, and the results were phenomenal. RB Coach Ron Gould helped to develop the team's first 1000 yard rusher (RB Kyren Williams) since RB Todd Gurley. OL Coach Ryan Wendall with the aid of consultant Mike Munchak certainly transformed the offensive line into one of the team's strengths in 2024.

Have the Rams done so again in 2024? Well, not only has the team hired Dave Ragone as their new quarterback coach (who I believe is an excellent hire), but the team is adding to the depth of their coaching staff by hiring Coach Jerry Schuplinski, who has a proven track record of developing both quarterbacks and coaches over the course of his 11 year NFL coaching career.

Schuplinski is anticipated to assume the role of senior offensive assistant for the team, and that could cover any number of tasks and positional groups for the team. But any coach with the history and reputation of Coach Schuplinski is not about carrying the clipboard, making a fresh pot of coffee in the morning, and making a burger run at lunchtime. The team has plans for him, plans that are best served by his accomplished career. So what might that specialty be?

Let's cover a couple of areas where the Rams could use a bit of coaching 'oomph,' for the upcoming NFL season.

What roles may Schuplinski fill on Rams coaching staff?

1. He made Patriots into premier QB store in 2017
2. Coach 'em up and ship 'em out
3. Time to tackle the tight end position

He made Patriots into premier QB store in 2017

Schuplinski may not be a recognizable household name for Rams fans, but he has certainly been one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in the NFL. He worked with New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, helping the young quarterback to improve both his accuracy and his ability to read his progressions in 2020 and in 2021.

He aided veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick have an incredible season for the Miam Dolphins in 2019. But his best quarterback efforts came with his long-standing relationship and work as Assistant Quarterback Coach with the New England Patriots, and his ability to work with QB Tom Brady.

As assistant QB coach, he helped to prepare backup QBs Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett in 2016, Ultimately, Jacoby Brissett was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in September 2017 and traded Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers in October 2017. The option to trade either 2016 backup quarterback the following season was only possible because both young hurlers made the most of their opportunities in the pocket when given the chance.

Brissett was a respectable 34 of 55 (61.8 completion rate) for 400 yards, 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in his three games for the Patriots in 2016, including completing a pass of 58 yards. Garoppolo was even better, completing 43 of 63 passes (68.3 completion percentage) for 502 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions in six games for the Patriots..

That is pretty impressive stuff for quarterbacks who sat on the depth chart behind veteran QB Tom Brady. Perhaps more impressively, they were both young quarterbacks who had little game experience up to that point. The credit for preparing them to play primarily falls on Coach Schuplinski.

Coach 'em up and ship 'em out

Despite the NFL's interest in clipping and grafting offensive from the Rams coaching staff, there has been very little interest in signing away former Rams quarterbacks by other teams. One of the handicaps of that strategy is how little time and value the team has invested into the backup quarterback role. Historically, the team had signed undrafted quarterbacks and only changed that pattern in 2022 when a tarnished veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield was cut by the Carolina Panthers.

He had impressive success after signing with the LA Rams midseason, and was a solid starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023.

The team, perhaps encouraged by the success with Mayfield, signed another downtrodden veteran quarterback in Carson Wentz in 2023. Wentz's lone start was an impressive win over the San Francisco 49er in Week 18. The Rams do seem to benefit better than expected by investing in the backup quarterback role.

Time to rethink how to optimize backup QB value

We had brought up the possibility of the Rams front office leveraging the unquenchable thirst in the NFL for members of the coaching staff who had input in offense by drafting and coaching up young quarterbacks to trade for picks. It's quite clear that the team has a much greater chance of success with a talented backup under center. And there is a bonus of trading proven backup quarterbacks, just like the Patriots did in 2017:

"There is even the added benefit for the LA Rams to leverage, and that is to select and develop a quarterback, specifically to dangle him on the trading block for a better pick then used to add him."

Bret Stuter

While the role for Schuplinski is rather nebulous, he is certainly a coach who has had success at coaching up young quarterbacks in the past. Even if the team does not add a newsworthy quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, the team has both QB Stetson Bennett and Dresser Winn on the roster for the 2024 NFL season.

Time to tackle the tight end position

Another positional group that has seen better days is the tight end position. While never boasting a 1000 yard receiver under HC Sean McVay, the Rams offense has not looked the other way when factoring in the impact of a good tight end. Quite the contrary, as the tight end position played a vital role for the team throughout 2017 through the 2020 NFL seasons.

After tight end Gerald Everett's contract expired at the end of the 2020 season, the Rams offense seemed to have a change of heart over the use of the tight end position. While Tyler Higbee remained involved in the offense, tight end Johnny Mundt was used sparingly and only as a blocking tight end in limited use. After Mundt's contract expired after 2021, the team was content to go almost exclusively with the 11-personnel package (3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 RB)

Is it time to revisit tight ends?

The Rams have been a bit stale at the tight end position of late, with an aging Tyler Higbee holding down the fort, but no clear successor pushing him for playing time. Well, not until rookie tight end Davis Allen showed up in 2023. The 6-foot-6 245-pound rookie was able to haul in 10 of 11 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in 192 offensive snaps. Can he do more? Well, he will need to see more playing time.

Perhaps a greater for for Allen is on the horizon. Coach Schuplinski was the tight ends coach for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023, a team that saw four different tight ends get involved in the offense in 2023. Much of rookie TE Michael Meyer's success was attributable to Coach Schuplinski, who had coached Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo when the two were with the Patriots in the past.

Below is a video snippet of Coach Schuplinski in an interview regarding his approach to coaching Raiders players. I brought it to your attention because I believe it illustrates his coaching style, but also his deliberate and thoughtful choice of words.

I think Coach Jerry Schuplinski is an excellent addition to the Rams coaching staff, and brings expertise in aspects of the team that may need a bit of help in 2024. If 2023 is an example, the team will be able to make great strides this season as well.