Unique opportunity?

As the Rams coaching staff is being dismantled, the coaching search has ramped up in earnest. But if you're thinking Sean is seeking coaches that are like the ones that have moved on, I highly doubt it. The replacement of Wade Phillips is a prime example. While many expected a highly recognized coach with defensive coordinator success and direct familiarity by having worked with Sean, McVay found Brandon Staley as those same speculators scratched their heads.

Here's my theory on McVay's offseason. Sean spent the last half of the season managing the triage unit that was the offense. They were forced to simplify, teach, and execute the offense very differently than they had before. When all was said and done, it was obvious there would be an overhaul that would be more extensive than any other in the McVay era.

So let's take a look at what Sean and Les are facing. They have let all the coaches know they are welcome to find other jobs and actively informed others they will be replaced. This information alone indicates a reboot in philosophy and a complete overhaul in the leadership and relationships going forward. No wonder Sean needed some time. I can't imagine the extent of the search or the insights being sought. He is now the poacher and his entire focus has to be not only acquiring a staff, but integrating them to his vision and structure while others are focused mostly on personnel. Logically, Sean's role could expand as a manager/leader/teacher for the staff and give playcalling responsibilities to his coordinator. I believe playcalling is probably his favorite job so the decision won't be easy. I suspect the internal discomfort he would feel if he disagrees with a call (something he experiences all the time with the defense) would be more stressful to him than just doing it himself. Andy Reid tried it with Pederson and Nagy but took it back and now gives the plays to Bieniemy who relays them to the QB. I seriously doubt Sean will turn over that responsibility but if he ever did, this would be the year for it.

But the real opportunity that might excite our coach is an eclectic staff that can expand the principles he likes from different systems. There are assistants all over that have fresh perspectives about an ever evolving game. With so many teams adopting the zone blocking with play action schemes like what Sean did most w Jared, he has already increased the pure drop back empty sets with Stafford. He also does quite a bit more power running with duo blocks, pullers, and traps. What I'm saying is that he may be looking to reinvent how he intends to attack defenses and the coaches he hires could give us a clue of what Sean has in mind.

The other big change coming is roster development. I posted on another thread that the increase in NFL injury incidence may cause teams to adjust roster makeup. While Stafford, Kupp, and AD are nearly untradable, McSnead might choose to prioritize depth more than they have in the past. The last two drafts seemed to focus on the bottom half of the roster with players that had special teams value as well. When KC traded Hill, they replaced that money with more and less expensive players. This provides a better hedge against injury. Unfortunately, the trade off would be fewer A level players so you can have more B players and fewer C rated jags. A miserable season like 2022 could convince the Rams to adopt this approach. A Ramsey trade could indicate this type of shift. Personally, I think they may see what they have after the draft before they really pursue this strategy. They owe it to the core to see how good 2023 can be but the long term plan needs to start soon. The Seahawks were forced to start doing so last year and it seems to have paid off, but I don't see the Rams ready for that quite yet, the core is still too good to ask them for a mulligan season to restock. It's truly an interesting offseason and I'm very interested to see what Sean McVay has up his sleeve.