The NFL has created a mold for every position that includes height/weight/speed, arm length, flexibility, hand size, and so much more. There are teams (probably most) whose GM, HC and scouts stick closer to that than others. The Rams simply don't much care about it. Snead combines old fashion film watching to see how the player actually plays, plus leading edge stuff to determine such things as game speed and twitch WHEN THEY ARE IN PADS AND CLEATS. That's why they find guys like Kupp, Puka, Williams and Turner.
Any number of players have spoken openly about training for weeks for the 40 by using track techniques especially for the first 20 yards. None of this much matters on a football field because that's not how the game is played, and the guys aren't wearing shorts and track shoes.
But even more, the Rams insist on high character, high motor, football is life types of guys with grit. They even like the older players who have stayed in college longer (hence the interest in the Senior Bowl) because like any parent recognizes, there's a lot of maturity taking place between 20 and 24 years old. And, the more college reps the better to help them develop. And this recognizes that in this football era. the likelihood of a really good player staying with one team his entire career is small. So, who cares how old the player is when he's drafted? You'll still get about the same amount of prime seasons from him.
Like Snead once said: if you're going to be better than the other guys, you have to do something different because you're choosing from among the same pool of players. The idea that you do what everybody else does.... just better.... is a pipe dream. This is why everybody studies the Shanahan/McVay offenses. But even they evolve so good luck keeping up.
