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theramswire.usatoday.com] What we learned from Sean McVay's combine press conference
Cameron DaSilva
March 3, 2022 7:47 am PT
Sean McVay met with members of the media on Wednesday with the combine taking place in Indianapolis. He wasn’t on location at the combine, however, and was instead at home working remotely.
During his nearly 30-minute media session, McVay shed some light on the decision for him and Les Snead to not attend the combine, his interest in broadcasting and the Rams’ offseason priority – among other topics.
Here’s what we learned.
1
He’s “very interested” in broadcasting down the line
McVay came right out and said that he was flattered and humbled by the opportunities he was presented in the broadcasting industry, and he didn’t hide his interest in that career path. He initially started to say it’s something he’d consider way down the line, but stopped himself short and simply said “down the line,” suggesting he could go into broadcasting a little bit sooner rather than later.
McVay didn’t get into the details of what was offered or who approached him, but he’s “very interested and intrigued” by working in TV and it’s something he’s been drawn to. Of course, he said he’s fully committed to the Rams and is excited to be back coaching after their Super Bowl win, so no concerns about him changing his mind now.
2
Lack of early picks did impact decision to skip combine
The Rams made headlines when it was announced that neither Les Snead nor Sean McVay would attend the combine. They’re not the only team without their GM and head coach in Indianapolis, but they are a notable one because of their lack of picks.
McVay said the fact that the Rams don’t pick until the end of the third round did play a role in the decision to stay in L.A., as did the trust that the Rams have in their scouts to identify players they want to target.
“I’m not saying that there’s not value in it, but we felt like it was more valuable to stay back and do what we’re doing now,” he said. “I think there’s real value in being able to go down on the field and see these guys work out and get some movement. I also think there’s real value to have a lot of the people that have roles and responsibilities that are in alignment with evaluating those guys where sometimes it can be a more efficient usage of our time to stay back and really dive into the film, especially when you get such a late start like we did.”
3
He and Liam Coen see the game through “very similar lens”
McVay is excited to have Coen back in the mix as his offensive coordinator this year, as well as Greg Olson and Jake Peetz. But specifically with Coen, he and McVay have a very similar eye for the game of football. They worked closely together when Coen was with the Rams for three years from 2018-2020, and he was a trustworthy coach on McVay’s staff.
McVay said they see the game through a “very similar lens” and he “heavily leaned on” Coen when they’ve worked together in the past. He also added that Olson’s exact role is still being determined.
4
Feels as refreshed and rejuvenated as ever
The Rams just completed what was the longest season in NFL history, playing 24 games between the preseason, regular season and playoffs. It spanned August to the middle of February, which is an extremely long time to be playing football games.
Yet, McVay said he feels as refreshed and rejuvenated as he’s ever felt, crediting that to the players and coaches he’s been around. That’s surprising considering how long the Rams’ season was, but there’s no burnout being felt by the 36-year-old coach.
5
Extending Stafford and Donald is “incredibly high priority”
Les Snead indicated Wednesday that the Rams are discussing a contract extension for Aaron Donald, and Matthew Stafford is also on the list of players they’d like to re-sign. McVay echoed those sentiments, making it clear how important it is for the Rams to keep both Donald and Stafford in the mix for years to come.
He called it an “incredibly high priority” and that both of them deserve to be rewarded for the jobs they’ve done on the field, and as leaders in the locker room.
“It’s huge and that’s an incredibly high priority,” he said. “There’s a lot of guys that are really important, but I think when you look at those two, in particular, those guys are foundational pieces on each side of the ball. They’re basically both voted unanimously team captains. They epitomize what’s right about the Rams. I think the other thing that’s special is these guys deserve and will be rewarded to accordingly but they also want to work in coordination to help us be as competitive as we can.”
6
Re-signing free agents is first step
The Rams have a lot of key players whose contracts will expire this month, including Von Miller, Odell Beckham Jr., Brian Allen and Austin Corbett. Re-signing everyone will be impossible, especially with the Rams’ cap situation, let alone bringing in top-tier talent from the outside.
McVay says the team’s first step toward constructing another contending roster is bringing back some of their own free agents.
“You guys know we’ll explore as many different avenues of onboarding players, but I think the first step of us is trying to re-sign as many of our own and then looking at those external avenues to add players because we think we’ve got a lot of good things going,” he said. “Got to be able to continue to build on that and the first step is being able to re-sign some of our free agents, and even some of the guys that you might need to make sure they feel good even if there are years remaining on their contract is something we’ve discussed, as well.”
