Rams Hire Matt LaFleur As OC
The Rams have announced the hiring of Matt LaFleur as their offensive coordinator. LaFleur previously served as the Falcons’ quarterbacks coach. 
[RELATED: Falcons Hire Steve Sarkisian As OC]
LaFleur is widely credited with helping to develop Matt Ryan. Long considered a solid starter, Ryan put it all together this past season en route to an MVP award. Pro Football Focus’ metrics also ranked Ryan as the No. 2 QB in the game, putting him behind only Tom Brady, whose Patriots knocked off Ryan’s Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
LaFleur worked with new Rams head coach Sean McVay while the two were with the Redskins. McVay picked his defensive coordinator a long time ago, but it seems that he waited specifically so that he could hire LaFleur. After molding Ryan into a beast, LaFleur’s next task will be to get the most out of 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff. While Goff showed flashes in his rookie season, the youngster is still largely green. The right tutelage will go a long way toward helping his progress, but the Rams will also have to improve their offensive line in order to maximize his time in the pocket.
The 37-year-old LaFleur has worked as an offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, with his most recent college job coming as the Notre Dame quarterbacks coach in 2014. He served in the same capacity with the Redskins from 2010-2013.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported that the Rams would hire LaFleur. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The Beat: ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez On The Rams
Now that the regular season is over, we’re chatting with beat writers from around the league to gain insight on each team’s offseason and how those moves will impact the season ahead.
This week, we caught up with Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com to discuss the Rams. You can follow Alden on Twitter @alden_gonzalez and check out his stories here.
Zach Links: After a wide-ranging search, the Rams hired the youngest coach in NFL history. Do you think the 31-year-old Sean McVay will prove to be a smart hire?
Alden Gonzalez: I think he’s going to make their offense better – it can’t be any worse – and I think the players are going to like him. I think they’re going to feed off his energy. The question is how quickly McVay can adapt to all the responsibility that comes with being an NFL head coach, from managing a game to handling a locker room to orchestrating practices. On top of all that, McVay will call the plays on offense. But he could not have made a better hire than the 69-year-old Wade Phillips as his defensive coordinator. McVay basically only has to worry about one side of the ball. 
Young coaches have been very hit and miss throughout NFL history. John Madden, Don Shula, Mike Tomlin and Jon Gruden succeeded. Lane Kiffin, Raheem Morris, David Shula and Josh McDaniels did not. It’s a pretty remarkable leap of faith for what is perhaps the most important coaching hire in Rams history. But I give them credit for trying to hit a home run, and I’m trying not to get caught up on the date of McVay’s birth certificate. If he were five years older and had the exact same resume, I don’t think anybody would be making a big deal about it. He sure doesn’t act 31.
Zach Links: Before the start of the 2016 season, you told us that Jared Goff “needs to be more decisive, he needs to take care of the football and he needs to do a better job of picking up blitzes.” What have you seen from him in those areas? How do you feel about him heading into 2017?
Alden Gonzalez: Clearly he didn’t do any of that. Goff put up a 22.2 Total QBR that was by far the worst among those who made at least seven starts last season. He made poor decisions, missed easy throws and didn’t display very good presence in the pocket. But he also faced a ton of pressure, threw to an underwhelming group of receivers and ran an offensive scheme that was, for all intents and purposes, systematically broken.
So, I don’t think it’s totally fair to judge Goff just yet. I do like his arm. He’s more mobile than I expected, and many have raved about how mentally tough he is. Occasionally he also made impressive throws downfield. But he has a lot to prove and has a longer road ahead of him at this point than the Rams might have hoped. McVay’s offense is very quarterback friendly, so now is when we’ll start to see how good Goff can be.
Ravens Offered Rams Entire '08 Draft Haul In Hopes Of Landing Matt Ryan
- On the subject of seminal trades, the Ravens were ready to part with their entire 2008 draft class in order to trade up to take Matt Ryan at No. 2 that year, Rapoport reports. The Ravens held the No. 8 pick and offered their entire ’08 picks stockpile to the Rams, who held the No. 2 choice. St. Louis also wanted Baltimore’s second-round pick in 2009, which ended up being Paul Kruger, to clinch that deal, per Rapoport. The Rams ended up taking Chris Long at No. 2, with the Ravens trading down to No. 18 and selecting Joe Flacco. In the ’08 draft, Baltimore acquired Ray Rice in the second round but largely whiffed on its other picks. However, the Ravens ended up making 10 selections. The Falcons selected Ryan at No. 3 overall.
Rams To Pursue Matt LaFleur As OC
The Rams will request permission to speak with Falcons quarterbacks coach Matt LaFleur about their offensive coordinator position, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. LaFleur and new Rams head coach Sean McVay once worked together in Washington, and McVay believes LaFleur can implement his offense and help quarterback Jared Goff reach his potential. According to Schefter, the interest is mutual.
LaFleur, of course, would be a logical candidate to replace Kyle Shanahan as the Falcons’ OC, as Shanahan is set to accept the 49ers’ head coaching job. Just last week, LaFleur was also mentioned as a candidate to join Shanahan in the Bay Area as the 49ers’ new offensive coordinator, but now another California team could be in the lead for his services.
Atlanta, meanwhile, has expressed interest in Chip Kelly as their next offensive coordinator, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Kelly would have a real shot at the job if he keeps Shanahan’s system in place. Per Rapoport, LaFleur knows that he will be targeted by both the Rams and 49ers, but in the week leading up the Super Bowl, his mind was singularly focused on helping Atlanta capture its first Lombardi Trophy, and he was unwilling to discuss his future at length (Twitter link).
The 37-year-old LaFleur has served as an offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, with his most recent college job coming as the Notre Dame quarterbacks coach in 2014. He served in the same capacity with the Redskins from 2010-2013.
Rams Hire Three Coaches
- Washington had hoped to promote assistant defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant to lead its secondary unit, but after the two sides couldn’t agree to a deal, Pleasant is instead following former Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay to Los Angeles, per Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post, who reports that Pleasant will join the Rams in an unspecified role. Another ex-Redskins coach, Shane Waldron (who had worked as offensive quality control assistant) will also depart for Los Angeles and become the Rams’ new tight ends coach, tweets Marvez. Finally, the Rams have also agreed to hire ex-UCLA wide receivers coach Eric Yarber for the same position, writes Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com.
- The Panthers announced they’ve hired former Stanford RBs coach Lance Taylor as their new wide receivers coach. Taylor served as Carolina’s assistant WRs coach in 2014, working under Ricky Proehl, who resigned from the Panthers’ staff last month, and played for Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Shula at Alabama. The Panthers also announced the hiring of former Rams defensive quality control coach Jeff Imamura as their new assistant defensive backs coach.
Rams To Hire Don Shula's Grandson
- The Redskins‘ promotion of Aubrey Pleasant from assistant secondary coach to secondary coach has yet to be completed, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union notes. Washington’s talks with Pleasant are “at a standstill” after the team offered him the position, in a somewhat strange status for a defensive backs job. The Redskins still want to make Pleaseant its DBs boss after firing Perry Fewell. However, the Rams remain interested in Pleasant as well. Los Angeles already hired Samson Brown from the Broncos, but the former assistant secondary coach under Wade Phillips in Denver doesn’t appear to have a definitive role yet.
- Should Pleasant join the Rams, he would be working with Don Shula’s grandson. The Rams plan to hire Chris Shula to work on Phillips’ defensive staff in Los Angeles, Alex Marvez of the Sporting News tweets. Chris Shula worked as a Chargers quality control coach the past two seasons. Prior to that, he served as a college defensive assistant. Shula played college football with Sean McVay.
Rams GM Les Snead Discusses McVay, Goff, Offseason
It’s already been a busy offseason for the Rams, as the front office made a number of coaching moves that should bring some excitement to Los Angeles. The organization didn’t only make Sean McVay the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, but they also added Wade Phillips as their defensive coordinator.
Of course, general manager Les Snead‘s job isn’t done. There are plenty of question marks when it comes to next year’s roster, and the executive will start solidifying his squad in the coming weeks.
In anticipation of the offseason, Snead sat down with Gary Klein of The Los Angeles Times. The executive discussed his new head coach, his plan for the offseason, and former number-one pick Jared Goff. The whole interview is worth reading, but we grabbed some notable quotes below…
On how it’s been working with Sean McVay:
“Exciting, because you see the young head coach but you also see him bring this unbelievable energy and passion to the job with that thought of how he wants to put together his staff and the puzzle there and what he’s trying to accomplish. … You’re working together to problem-solve, come up with solutions, come up with decisions and try to come up with what’s best for the Rams…. You can feel the chemistry developing based on just rolling up your sleeves and going to work and making your first decisions together.”
On his expectation for quarterback Jared Goff, last year’s first-overall pick:
“What he went through is only going to be positive in the future. It goes back to experience. … He knows what it’s like now. … What you got back is a very poised player — and adversity doesn’t rattle him. … Looking forward to seeing him grow because he’s felt and seen Sean come in and implement his offense, and Sean is really big on the quarterback. Jared’s chomping at the bit.”
On the team’s team-building strategy heading into the draft and free agency:
“I don’t know if I want to tell you exactly because it might tip hands, but I think philosophically I can tell you it’s probably, duh, right? We’ve got to figure out how to improve the offense and how that looks and what position groups you start attacking first. We want to move the ball, we want to get first downs and we want to score points. That’s going to be addressed at all angles.”
On how the team is going to approach their wideout depth (Kenny Britt and Brian Quick are set to hit free agency):
“It’s interesting with the receiving group because we already know a good bit about what Sean would like in his receivers. They’ve been described many times like a basketball team. And what that means is you probably don’t field five point guards, five shooting guards. …. With our pending UFAs I think it’s very safe to say we’ve got to sit down with the offensive group and see what they bring to the table and do they exactly fit us with the guys that are already on the team.”
On the status of cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who was slapped with the franchise tag last offseason:
“That will be a big decision. Wade, like a lot of [defensive coordinators], likes good players on the outside. Trumaine fits that category…. Trumaine is a larger guy with good ball skills and all things like that. Is it a square in a square, a triangle in a triangle or more a rectangle in a square? … That’s probably one of the top priorities when Wade walks in the door because, obviously, the magnitude of what his contract will look like and the magnitude of what another franchise tag looks like and everything in between.”
Top 3 Offseason Needs: Los Angeles Rams
In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. This year’s series continues with the Rams, whose second act in Los Angeles began horrifically this season. The Rams sputtered to a 4-12 showing, which led to the in-season firing of the embattled Jeff Fisher and the postseason hiring of the youngest head coach in the modern era, 31-year-old Sean McVay.
Previously a successful offensive coordinator with the Redskins, McVay is inheriting a 22-year-old quarterback, Jared Goff, who underwhelmed as a rookie after the Rams traded up to select him first overall in the draft. The Rams don’t have either a first- or third-round pick this year because of that trade, which is a painful reality for a franchise that would have otherwise chosen fifth overall. Goff could begin to realize his vast potential under McVay, of course, and that would make the deal much easier to accept.
As the Rams wait to see how the two wunderkinds will fare in Year 1 of their partnership, their Les Snead-led front office will work to improve a roster that scored the fewest points and allowed the third-highest total in the NFL in 2016.
Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:
- Kenny Britt, WR
- Blake Countess, S (ERFA)
- Benny Cunningham, RB
- Dominique Easley, DT (RFA)
- Isaiah Johnson, S (ERFA)
- Trumaine Johnson, CB
- Case Keenum, QB
- Matt Longacre, DT (ERFA)
- T.J. McDonald, S
- Brian Quick, WR
- Chase Reynolds, RB
- Cam Thomas, DE
- Louis Trinca-Pasat, DT (ERFA)
- Trey Watts, RB (RFA)
- Ethan Westbrooks, DT (RFA)
- Greg Zuerlein, K (UFA)
Top 10 Cap Hits For 2017:
- Tavon Austin, WR: $14,977,116
- Mark Barron, LB: $11,000,000
- Michael Brockers, DT: $11,000,000
- Robert Quinn, DE: $10,750,334
- Alec Ogletree, LB: $8,369,000
- Greg Robinson, OT: $6,772,213
- Jared Goff, QB: $6,349,471
- Rodger Saffold, G: $6,222,233
- William Hayes, DE: $5,500,000
- Lance Kendricks, TE: $4,250,000
Current Projected Cap Room (via Over the Cap): $40,203,030
Other:
- No first- or third-round pick (traded to Tennessee)
- Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year options for DT Aaron Donald and OT Greg Robinson
Three Needs:
1.) Repair the offensive line: If you’re building around youth at quarterback and running back, two places the Rams have invested heavily over the past couple years, common sense says you should possess a strong group of blockers. That wasn’t the case in 2016 for the Rams, whose offensive line graded as Football Outsiders’ fourth-worst group and Pro Football Focus’ sixth-worst unit. Only lowly Cleveland allowed more sacks than Los Angeles (49), whose rushers posted the league’s 10th-lowest yards-per-carry mark (3.9). Dual-threat wide receiver Tavon Austin drove up the latter figure, averaging 5.7 yards on 28 rushes. The Rams’ actual backs, including 2015 rookie sensation Todd Gurley, were far less impressive. Gurley shockingly stumbled to a 3.2 YPC – down 50 percent from his 4.8 the prior season – on 278 attempts and failed to eclipse the 85-yard mark in any of his 16 games. He certainly isn’t blameless for his dreadful second season, but it’s clear he and Goff need more support up front.
While the Rams are fine at left guard (Rodger Saffold) and right tackle (Rob Havenstein), they’d be wise to seek upgrades along the remainder of the line. That includes left tackle, where Greg Robinson has busted since going second overall in the 2014 draft. It’s doubtful the Rams will move on this offseason from Robinson, as he’s still young (24) and will be on their books at his full cap hit ($6.77MM-plus) even if they release him. They’ll surely decline his fifth-year option for 2018, however, and ought to look for a starting-caliber replacement for at least next season. Unfortunately, neither free agency nor the draft will brim with blindside options this offseason.
The open market’s top solution could be the Bengals’ Andrew Whitworth, who’s stellar but also aging (35). Otherwise, tackles scheduled to reach free agency include less capable protectors like Riley Reiff (Lions), Matt Kalil (Vikings) and Luke Joeckel (Jaguars). As is the case with Robinson, both Kalil and Joeckel have been letdowns since their respective teams used top five picks on them in recent years, though it might be worth pointing out that Kalil is a California native who formerly thrived in the Rams’ temporary stadium, the LA Coliseum, as a member of the USC Trojans. Past success aside, he’s certainly not a premier blocker these days.
In the event the Rams wait until the draft, where they’re scheduled to pick 37th, they could end up in contention for any of Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk, Utah’s Garrett Bolles or Alabama’s Cam Robinson. All three tackles currently reside in the top 50 prospect rankings of draft gurus Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) and Matt Miller (Bleacher Report).
Moving to the interior, where the Rams should add a second high-end guard to complement Saffold and make life easier for Gurley, T.J. Lang (Packers), Kevin Zeitler (Bengals) and Ronald Leary (Cowboys) stand out as the foremost soon-to-be free agents. While all figure to rake in sizable contracts in the coming months, any would significantly improve the Rams’ line.
It would behoove the Rams to land one of those three, as the early second round doesn’t seem as if it’ll overflow with possibilities. Jeremiah and Miller only have one guard apiece in their top 50 – Western Kentucky’s Forrest Lamp is the former’s 16th-ranked player, while the latter’s list includes Indiana’s Dan Feeney at No. 37 (which matches LA’s pick).
Lastly, it’s possible the Rams will search for a superior center to Tim Barnes, who, to his credit, is coming off back-to-back 16-start seasons. For Gurley’s sake, it would make sense to target a better run blocker like A.Q. Shipley (Cardinals) or J.C. Tretter (Packers) on the open market. Jason Kelce could also become available if the Eagles release him, which looks like a legitimate possibility.
Rams Add Aaron Kromer To Coaching Staff
- The Rams are likely adding Aaron Kromer to their staff as the new offensive line coach, reports ESPN.com’s Alden Gonzalez. Kromer has spent 11 seasons as an offensive line coach, most recently in Buffalo. The long-time coach also served as the Bears offensive coordinator from 2013 through 2014. As Gonzalez notes, the Rams used seven draft picks on offensive linemen between 2014 and 2015.
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Latest On Broncos/Wade Phillips Split
The Broncos and Wade Phillips could not agree on terms to bring back the DC for a third season in Denver, re-routing the veteran assistant to his 10th NFL franchise. Conflicting reports have attempted to illuminate some reasons why the architect of the league’s top defense the past two years will be overseeing the Rams’ unit in 2017.
A report earlier this week indicated Phillips played a role in pitting the Broncos’ defense against their offense, dividing the locker room and alleging the DC was responsible for a similar situation on the 2013 Texans. Phillips himself shot back (Twitter link) and denied any such claim, something which All-Pro cornerback Chris Harris (via Twitter) backed up.
The somewhat surprising split after Phillips helped guide the Broncos to their third Super Bowl championship a year ago may have occurred for several reasons, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk describes it as an amicable breakup. Phillips’ daughter lives in Los Angeles, leading Phillips to the understandable desire to want to relocate there if given the opportunity. But 2016 negotiations for a second Phillips contract in Denver featured a chasm between the sides on terms.
Phillips, per Florio, wanted to be the highest-paid defensive coordinator in football after playing a key role in leading a defensively powered Super Bowl team. The Broncos, though, resisted, and NFL veteran of more than 30 years entered this season on an expiring contract. Denver’s pass defense finished with a top-10 all-time DVOA in 2016 en route to ending up as the top DVOA total defense for a second straight year, and the 69-year-old coach became a sought-after commodity on the open market. He drew interest from the Browns, Redskins and Rams before deciding to move west.
Denver’s new DC, Joe Woods, was also drawing interest as a possible coordinator candidate, Florio notes. The Broncos did not want to lose a potential rising talent to another team, so they promoted Woods to fill Phillips’ spot shortly after he left. The team could have blocked the 46-year-old Woods from interviewing elsewhere — something that wasn’t rumored prior to him being promoted — but chose to promote him instead of denying him an opportunity. Current Broncos HC Vance Joseph experienced this two years ago, when the Bengals denied their then-defensive backs coach permission to become the Denver DC in 2015, leading to Phillips’ return to Colorado.