Sean McVay is called Rams’ secret weapon in FA…

Sean McVay called Rams’ secret weapon in free agency
From “running through a brick wall” to other commitments, Rams new free agents want to play for McVay

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Kenneth Arthur



In March we have free agency, in April we have the draft, but the L.A. Rams have Sean McVay in all 12 months of the year. That’s an advantage unlike what most NFL teams could hope to gain between every Super Bowl.

Of all the moves that have happened in the NFL over the last 10 years, including coaching changes, GM hires, free agency, trades, and the draft, the Rams hiring McVay in 2017 has to be among the top-10 most important and impactful. Though L.A.’s head coach has been known to catch heat from fans after a loss—and sometimes even after a win—the Rams would not have turned around from a league laughingstock to a Super Bowl champion without McVay.

And whether someone reading this thinks McVay is overrated or not, most coaches don’t and most players don’t. That alone makes him among the most uniquely valuable people in the NFL, as the Rams have done the best job in the league of hiring and promoting coaches who get poached by other teams for vacant head coach and coordinator positions. The power also works on free agents.

In a message shared on Twitter on Tuesday, The Athletic’s Dianni Russini noted that multiple players and player agents have expressed McVay’s skills of pursuasion: “There have been a few free agents and NFL agents over the last few days who have shared how the best recruiter over the phone is easily Sean McVay. Whatever he says, he leaves a strong impression.”

Though the Rams did not play a significant role in free agency a year ago, 2023 was an exception to the rule. Even when it was time to go bargain hunting, additions like Demarcus Robinson and Ahkello Witherspoon vastly outplayed expectations.

This year, the Rams have convinced guard Jonah Jackson to leave the Lions for L.A., Darious Williams has been wooed back at corner, in addition to tight end Colby Parkinson and safety Kamren Curl. On choosing to leave Detroit for the Rams, Jackson noted the chance to reunited with Matthew Stafford and to follow McVay’s lead:

“You just see it from the outside. You see the quarterback. He’s second to none. The pieces to the puzzle are just incredible,” Jackson said. “And then you see Coach McVay and how they run things. It’s an approachable place you feel. And you feel like it’s somewhere you can get settled in pretty fast and that’s why I felt like it was a good fit for me.”

Parkinson also praised McVay in his first meeting with the press after signing:

“Yeah, I think it’s just a natural fit,” Parkinson said. “They do a lot of great things on the offense. (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) does a great job and I think the way I can present myself as a three-down tight end really fits the mold.”

Curl said he would run through a wall for McVay. A brick one:

“Really just his football mind,” Curl said. “Just seeing stuff here and there, him talking about the game and explaining stuff. It’s just like he lives football. That’s what you want, a guy that’s all about football. And the energy he brings on the sideline and just the way the players who play for him play. You can just tell we’re ready to run through a brick wall for him, so that’s the type of guys I want to play for.”

With McVay on the phone to prospective free agents, it is clear that the Rams have someone who can convince anyone that they’ll be competing for a Super Bowl if they come to L.A.. Given that he’s taken two almost entirely different rosters to two Super Bowls in the past six years, I’m inclined to believe him too.