Rams aren’t planning to extend Sean McVay, for now
Mike Florio,ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports[www.yahoo.com]

Rams coach Sean McVay has greatly exceeded expectations in his first two years on the job. That gives the Rams a bargain over the next three years, as he continues to work through a deal that is believed to pay him $4 million per year.

The Rams seem to be willing to enjoy that bargain, at least for now.

Via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, Rams COO Kevin Demoff recently said that the team will be focusing for now on contracts for the guys who are on the field, explaining that he’s “making sure the players we need to extend are done.”

Still, there’s no doubt the Rams want McVay over the long haul. And they should.

“Becoming a face of the team in Los Angeles and, really, becoming one of the faces of the NFL, is everything you hope when you go into the head coaching process,” Demoff said. “Not just to find a great coach but to find an amazing leader and steward for our franchise.

“As you go to make sure that your [core] players are here for a long time, obviously the goal is to make sure your coaching staff is here a long time. . . . Our goal is always to make sure this group can stay together for as long as possible.”

That’s fine, but the idea that the Rams can’t extend McVay until they extend their key players is a bit flimsy. There’s no salary cap for coaches, so that’s no impediment to rewarding McVay.

The reality is that the Rams have gotten a great return on their investment in McVay, and they feel no need to increase that investment. But they need to be careful, because there’s also no franchise tag for coaches, and McVay should consider finishing out the next three years, becoming a free agent, and then striking it rich as the highest-paid coach in NFL history.