Let me say up front that NONE of us know anything firsthand about the chemistry and pecking order within the Rams organization. So while I disagree with your assessment, it's only on my personal knowledge of management trees and structure and not on inside info.
The idea that somehow the brand new McVay who didn't even know where Thousand Oaks was made the draft picks and FA selections is ludicrous. It is Snead's department and job description to acquire personnel.
However......both when Fisher was here and now McVay, Snead always said that he saw his job as finding the guys the coaches defined. That is, unlike a Ted Thompson who decided the characteristics and attributes of players, drafted and acquired them primarily according to his vision of the team, and then assembled them and handed them over to the HC, Snead's approach was to go to the player supermarket with a shopping list given to him by the HC.
No doubt before Snead pulled the trigger, McVay was given a voice. And likely Snead explained to McVay why he thought such and such a player fit McVay's job description for that position. And no doubt why another and different player might even be a better fit but for reasons X and Y they weren't attainable.
It is utterly impossible for a 30 year old, never been HC to assume the jobs of HC and GM simultaneously and this is what you are claiming he did because job #1 of the GM is to stock the team with players.
In fact, when the sports media was still speculating WHY Snead wasn't fired along with Fisher, the consensus was that FA and the draft were looming and there was no way a new GM could walk through the door, change the personnel staff, and acquire players.
McVay in his first year, probably more than he ever will have to again, HAD to rely on Snead.
And the Rams struck Gold this year in FA, trades, and the draft. It couldn't have been much better.
