The dust has settled on Super Bowl LVI. The Los Angeles Rams victory at their home stadium was one of the most memorable triumphs in recent memory. The Cincinnati Bengals were a formidable foe and gave the Rams headaches throughout the contest. Still, the Rams came out on top 23-20.
It is still a time for celebration in Los Angeles as the Rams brought the city its first Super Bowl victory since 1983 which came via the Raiders.
All of the doubters have been silenced when it comes to the likes of head coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and a slew of others.
What is concerning for such a successful team is now the dreaded cap space situation. With so many key players on this team on expiring contracts, the situation in Los Angeles looks a bit puzzling going into the 2022 season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past offseason set a precedent around the league that has virtually been unseen in NFL history. They returned all 22 starters to a team coming off a Super Bowl victory. The Buccaneers displayed that winning can play a vital role in keeping your best players.
When it comes to the Los Angeles Rams — well the situation is a bit different. With so many top-tier players, this makes what the Buccaneers did difficult, but not impossible. The Rams will have decisions to make when it comes to Von Miller, Odell Beckham Jr., and much more.
The Los Angeles Rams are going into the off-season with five starters who played over 50% of total snaps as unrestricted free agents. You could argue a sixth when adding in running back Sony Michel.
Offensive linemen Austin Corbett and Brian Allen are set to hit free agency, and Andrew Whitworth could be set to finally retire. It’s possible that the Rams could be in the midst of a reconstruction of their offensive line. This is not even to mention the possible exit of cornerback Darious Williams.
However, if there is one glimmer of hope in terms of cap crunching and making the nearly impossible a reality — it is general manager Les Snead.
Snead has basically turned the NFL on its heels with his wheeling and dealing for talent. His disregard for top draft picks is something that other teams haven’t done in the past. The Los Angeles Rams have not had a first-round pick since 2016, and that pick which was quarterback Jared Goff. Ironically Goff was traded away with first round picks for Matthew Stafford.
Les Snead runs the Rams as if he is playing Madden. His tactics are unseen in this league. He’s been criticized and critiqued every season on his decision making and urgency to add talent. Yet his ability to find that talent in the later rounds has been on display for years now.
For all of the criticism Snead has faced, he has been able to bring in top talent. The Los Angeles Rams have routinely looked like a team of Pro Bowlers while developing young players. Los Angeles now has plenty to show for these risks. They are not only Super Bowl champions, but have been to the Super Bowl twice since 2018.
The bold and daring risks of Snead might actually be copied by future general managers. His “all-in” tactics have proven successful. It may be difficult to predict if his tactics will indeed be copied league wide. However, he has surely opened eyes with the Super Bowl victory.
The mentality of adding proven talent is something that Snead has become known for. But we must not ignore the fact he did draft two of the top players on this Rams team. Cooper Kupp was drafted in the third round. Aaron Donald fell in the Rams’ lap in the middle of the first round. Having such talent in these players gave Snead the flexibility to go all-in, and add talent in his uncanny manner.
Snead has the ability to make moves that no one sees coming. It would not be a shock to see this team return nearly all of its talent from this Super Bowl roster. It will be interesting to see how Snead maneuvers this offseason. With so much talent on the cusp of an exit, this will be a big challenge for the Los Angeles Rams general manager.
One of the most talked about and watched things of this off-season will be just what Snead does. He has the ability to change the perception of what reality and normalcy is within the NFL. If anyone can keep this team together, it will be the general manager in Snead.
Whatever happens for this Los Angeles Rams team, you must trust in the team building ability of Snead. Who knows what is in store for this Rams team. However, keep an eye out on what should be the most interesting Rams offseason in history.
About Post Author
Go back and look what George Allen did