Rams Expected To Fire Les Snead
Les Snead‘s job status continues to generate disparate stances, but the latest points to the Rams GM being ousted. Snead is expected to follow Jeff Fisher out the door, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, who notes the five years without a winning record — and Los Angeles boasting the league’s worst offense — will make it difficult to generate enthusiasm from a fanbase the franchise is attempting to grow now that it’s back in California.
Earlier this month, a report emerged that Snead was expected to survive, with another indicating the GM was not long for employment in L.A. With the Rams having lost to the 49ers and dropping to 4-11 — in line for their worst record since 2011, the final year of the pre-Snead/Fisher regime — it’s obvious the more fan-friendly move would be to start fresh.
- Neither Trent Baalke nor Chip Kelly is expected to survive Black Monday, per Volin, with a new 49ers GM expected to be able to select his own coach. Kelly’s team won its first game since Week 1 in beating the Rams in L.A., but the formerly sought-after coach steered the team to its worst losing streak in the franchise’s 70-year history. Baalke could land in Denver due to his solid relationship with Broncos GM John Elway, but the sixth-year decision-maker has overseen a 49ers freefall over the past two years after that run of three consecutive conference championship games.
Rams Rumors: Payton, Lynn, Cooter
Despite rumors to the contrary, one source tells ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett there is no indication the Saints are more willing to part ways with Sean Payton now than they were in the past. That same source also refuted the notion that morale is low in New Orleans because of speculation over Payton’s future. Regardless, you can expect the Payton buzz to continue for a while. There’s now talk that Payton has “sincere interest” in the Rams’ opening.
- Bills offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn and Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter are two to watch in the Rams‘ coaching search, Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets.
- There are reasons why Jon Gruden does and doesn’t make sense for the Rams, Mike Florio of PFT writes. Gruden has star power, offensive know-how, and relationships with both COO Kevin Demoff and Washington exec Bruce Allen, who could be a GM candidate for the team. He could also help the team attract Raiders fans in the area. Conversely, one could argue that Gruden was overrated as a coach since he won a Super Bowl with a defense built by Tony Dungy and run the highly-respected Monte Kiffin. Gruden also doesn’t have a rep as a player-friendly coach.
- Panthers coach Ron Rivera has been mentioned as a possibility for the Rams‘ job, but his agent tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer there hasn’t been any contact between Rivera and Los Angeles. “There hasn’t been any contact,” agent Frank Bauer said. “Ron’s super happy where he’s at.” Of course, that doesn’t mean a whole lot. The Rams could still wait until after the season to reach out to Rivera and, even if they have already, his agent would never publicly confirm an act of tampering. If there is mutual interest between the Rams and Rivera this spring, L.A. would still have to negotiate a trade with the Panthers.
Sean Payton Has “Sincere Interest” In Rams’ Head Coaching Vacancy
Another day, another big name being mentioned as a potential candidate for the Rams’ head coach opening. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports that Saints head coach Sean Payton is monitoring the Rams’ vacancy with “sincere interest.” The reporter clarifies that a potential Rams/Saints trade is neither “imminent” nor “likely,” but a deal is “possible.” For the Rams to pull off such a move, Payton would have to be the organization’s “overwhelming No. 1” favorite for the position.
As Rapoport writes, Payton has openly expressed interest in coaching on the West Coast, especially since his daughter lives in California. The head coach had previously shown some interst in the former 49ers and Chargers openings. Payton ultimately signed a five-year extension with the Saints that will pay him around $10MM a year. After he announced the new contract, Payton said that he couldn’t envision himself coaching elsewhere.
Of course, the extension doesn’t mean that Payton is guaranteed to stick around New Orleans. The 52-year-old hasn’t led the Saints to the playoffs since 2013, and Rapoport reports that some within the organization are starting to tire of Payton’s unwillingness to commit to his current gig longterm. In fact, we heard last week that the Saints could look to trade their long-time coach. If the coach decides that he wants out of New Orleans, the front office won’t hold him “hostage,” according to Rapoport.
Payton does have an impressive head coaching record of 92-64 during his 11 seasons in New Orleans (he was suspended for the 2012 campaign), and he led the team to a Super Bowl championship in 2009.
Despite the Payton news, Rapoport tweets that the Rams aren’t necessarily looking to “make a splash” with the hiring. The last time they hired a big-
name coach, they signed Jeff Fisher… and we all know how that turned out.
Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter echoes that the Rams aren’t necessarily looking at high-profile names for their head coaching vacancy. According to the report, the Rams are eyeing Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Bills offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn,
Patriots offensive coordinators Josh McDaniels, and Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. We learned earlier this week that the Rams (along with the Jaguars) would have interest in Shanahan.
Rapoport throws another name into the ring (via Twitter): Panthers coach Ron Rivera. The writer notes that Rivera would be a natural fit considering the Rams’ young roster and Los Angeles’ Hispanic population. Of course, Rapoport admits that a Rams/Panthers trade would be rather complicated to pull off.
Other names that have been mentioned for the opening are Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and ESPN analyst Jon Gruden. Both of those potential candidates denied having any interest in the gig.
Rams Make Three Roster Moves
- The Rams waived cornerback Steve Williams and placed defensive back Marqui Christian on reserve/injured Tuesday. The club also signed safety Isaiah Johnson from the practice squad. Williams, the most notable member of the trio, has moved on and off the Rams’ roster multiple times this year. He has racked up six appearances this season (five with San Diego) after playing in 14 games with the Chargers and intercepting two passes last year.
Jon Gruden: “I Have No Intention Of Coaching”
Hollywood loves a good comeback story and no coaching comeback would be more captivating than Jon Gruden returning to the sidelines for the Rams. He is reportedly the “focal point” of the Rams’ search, but for his part, Gruden claims that he isn’t interested in coaching right now. 
“I’ve said it a million times. I’m very happy with what I’m doing. I have no intention of coaching,” Gruden said in an interview with ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike (video link).
Gruden added that he still feels “close to the fire” as the color commentator for Monday Night Football. Of course, his comments should be taken with a grain of kosher salt. It’s hard to imagine that there isn’t a big part of Gruden that wants to try and win another Super Bowl. With the Rams, Gruden would have several intriguing pieces to work with, including running back Todd Gurley, No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff, defensive end Robert Quinn, and defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
If the Rams want to land Gruden, they may have to give him final say over personnel. Reportedly, Los Angeles is open to granting that power to their next head coach.
2017 NFL Draft Order Through Week 15
With just two weeks to go, the NFL playoff picture is starting to get clearer. The Cowboys, Seahawks, Patriots, and Raiders have already punched their playoff tickets while the Chiefs, Steelers, Falcons, and Giants are considered near locks by the forecasts at Five Thirty Eight.
Here’s a look at where the draft order stands for the teams not currently slated to make the cut (Note: Ties are broken by strength of schedule):
1. Browns 0-14
2. 49ers 1-13
3. Jaguars 2-12
4. Bears 3-11
5. Jets 4-10
6. Rams (pick belongs to Titans) 4-10
7. Eagles (pick belongs to Browns) 5-9
8. Chargers 5-9
9. Cardinals 5-8-1
10. Bengals 5-8-1
11. Panthers 6-8
12. Saints 6-8
13. Bills 7-7
14. Colts 7-7
15. Vikings (pick belongs to Eagles) 7-7
16. Redskins 7-6-1
17. Titans 8-6
17. Ravens 8-6 (Note: The Titans and Ravens are currently knotted up in terms of both record and strength of schedule. In all statistical likelihood, the SOS logjam will be broken by the end of the season.)
19. Texans 8-6
20. Buccaneers 8-6
Rams, Jaguars Interested In Kyle Shanahan
Two clubs — the Rams and the Jaguars — have already fired their head coaches, and both teams are interested in Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). If Shanahan does land a head coaching job this offseason, Shanahan could aim to team with his father, former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan, placing the elder in a football operations role.
[RELATED: Rams Focusing On Jon Gruden]
Kyle Shanahan, 37, has experienced success at nearly every stop during his career, a path that has included time with the Texans, Redskins, Browns, and most recently, the Falcons. He’s already worked with his father in Washington, when the pair helped turn rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III into the Offensive Rookie of the Year and led the club into the playoffs. This year, his second in Atlanta, Kyle has guided quarterback Matt Ryan to the best season of his career, while the Falcons offense ranks first in the NFL in DVOA.
Shanahan has interviewed for a head coaching vacancy once before, as he met with the Bills in 2015 before Buffalo hired Rex Ryan. Additionally, the Shanahans have been viewed as a package deal in the past, as several clubs were considering the pair during the 2015 offseason. In that scenario, Mike Shanahan would have become a club’s head coach, while Kyle would have taken on offensive play-calling duties.
Mike Shanahan, meanwhile, has been linked to the 49ers in recent weeks, although subsequent reports have downplayed any chance of Shanahan landing in the Bay Area. Shanahan, 64, interviewed for the 49ers’ head coaching vacancy in each of the past two seasons, and was thought to have finished second to Chip Kelly for the job earlier this year. Shanahan has never worked in a front office capacity, but he has exerted personnel control over his rosters as a head coach in his previous stops.
Rams Focusing On Jon Gruden
Former NFL head coach and current ESPN commentator Jon Gruden has become the “focal point” of the Rams’ head coaching search, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, and the two sides are progressing towards a meeting. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported yesterday that Gruden would “entertain” the idea of taking the reins in Los Angeles.
[RELATED: Top Rams Head Coaching Candidates]
While Gruden may be open to the Rams’ position, his interest in the franchise wouldn’t stop at coaching — he’d also require full control of personnel, according to Robinson, and won’t even consider a meeting with the club unless he’s granted that power. Los Angeles is open to offering roster management to certain head coaching candidates (Gruden among them), which jibes with recent reports about incumbent general manager Les Snead‘s status. Snead’s fate is seemingly in the balance at the moment, as ownership could be willing to allow a new coach to hire his own executive.
Meanwhile, Gruden would check off several requirements for owner Stan Kroenke, including the fact that the club is searching for an offensive-minded head coach. Second, as Robinson writes, the Rams are intent on selling hundreds of millions in personal seat licences before their new stadium in Inglewood opens, and hiring a coach with the panache of Gruden could help in those business pitches.
For Gruden, the allure of Los Angeles is compounded by the presence of quarterback Jared Goff, whom Gruden has lauded in the past. “He does believe in him – that’s not just for TV,” a source close to Gruden told Robinson. “He thinks [Goff] has the stuff to be a franchise quarterback. I don’t know if Jon would have traded the farm to get him, but he sees him as a guy that was worthy of building a team around him. He sees leadership and star power there.”
If Gruden can’t be had, Stanford head coach David Shaw and Saints head coach Sean Payton could be among the contenders for the Rams’ job, per Robinson. While Payton recently signed an extension that’s set to keep him in New Orleans through 2020, a report yesterday indicated that the organization could be willing to part with him in exchange for draft picks. Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Sunday that the Los Angeles job could attract candidates — such as Payton — who are already under contract with other clubs.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/19/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed WR B.J. Daniels
- Cut: WR J.D. McKissic
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed LB Lavar Edwards
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Jerome Couplin, LB Cassanova McKinz, LB Reggie Northrup, DB Kevin Short (link via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com)
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Brandon Chubb
Rams Promote Isaiah Johnson
- The Jets have signed linebacker Randell Johnson from the Rams‘ practice squad to their 53-man roster, clearing a roster spot by waiving fellow LB Arthur Brown, the club announced today. Brown, a former second-round pick, has now been cut for the third time this calendar year.
- The Rams are promoting defensive back Isaiah Johnson to the active roster, reports Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. Johnson had been signed to Los Angeles’ 53-man earlier this season, as well. Johnson takes the roster spot of DB Marqui Christian, who is going to IR, per Gonzalez (link).