Sean McVay, Ty Simpson Had ‘Secret Meetings’; McVay ‘High’ On QB
The win-now Rams shocked many observers when they spent the 13th overall pick in this year’s draft on a developmental quarterback, former Alabama signal-caller Ty Simpson. For his part, Simpson suggested afterward he had little pre-draft contact with the Rams, saying (via Sarah Barshop of ESPN): “I met with some scouts at (Alabama), and that was really it. They talked to my agent, but that was really not much.”
[Poll: Grading Rams’ Simpson Pick]
It turns out Simpson was being cagey, as he revealed Monday in an interview with Ian Fitzsimmons on ESPN Radio.
“We tried to keep this under wraps as long as we could,” Simpson told Fitzsimmons. “It was something to where I knew they were interested, but they wanted to make it private and didn’t want people to know that they were interested.”
Simpson added that he and head coach Sean McVay “had some secret meetings” and “talked for hours and hours” about football. Meeting with a prospect is atypical for Rams brass (McVay and general manager Les Snead), Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes. While McVay drew plenty of attention online when he looked less than thrilled in the aftermath of the Simpson pick, that was not the case. McVay has “significant say” over the Rams’ first selection every year, Rodrigue relays. Snead would not have pulled the trigger on Simpson had McVay been against it.
After making a mere 15 starts in college, there is no shortage of skepticism regarding Simpson’s chances of succeeding in the NFL. But both McVay and Snead are “very high on Simpson,” per Rodrigue. McVay, who has earned a reputation as an offensive guru, will play a key role in developing the 23-year-old as he breaks into the league as a backup.
It is unclear how long it will take for Simpson to get a look as a starter, as he is stuck behind one of the league’s premier signal-callers. Matthew Stafford will play his age-38 season in 2026, but he has shown no signs of slowing down. The 17-year veteran won his first MVP after throwing a career-high 46 touchdown passes last season. He came within a few points of reaching his second Super Bowl, but the Seahawks upended the Rams in a 31-27 NFC championship game. The Stafford-led Rams will aim to get over the hump and win their first title since 2021 next season, but in the meantime, he is likely to ink a lucrative extension.
The Rams may have just landed their QB of the future, but it does not appear Simpson will overtake Stafford any time soon. As was the case with past first-round QBs like Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love in Green Bay, it may be multiple years before Simpson takes the reins.
Ty Simpson Fallout: Rams, McVay, Snead, Stafford, Lemon, Sadiq, Garoppolo, Ioane
While loosely connected to Ty Simpson entering the draft, the Rams were viewed as more likely to add a player that helped their strong 2026 roster compete for a Super Bowl title. In a move eerily similar to the Packers’ Jordan Love pick six years ago, the Rams came out of Round 1 with Simpson — who may well sit behind Matthew Stafford for multiple seasons.
Discussions about this pick pivoted from whether Simpson was a reach at No. 13 to whether Sean McVay was enthused about the selection. McVay’s post-draft presser left plenty to be desired on the latter front. For instance, McVay made this comment shortly after the choice:
“There were a lot of players that we liked, but when you do look at it, I think the thing you liked about the body of work is … let’s make one thing clear, this is Matthew’s team,” McVay said. “You get a chance to be able to address the backup quarterback.”
[RELATED: Rams Considered Joe Flacco In Free Agency]
This situation technically makes Simpson the backup quarterback — McVay went as far as to say Simpson will compete with disappointing holdover Stetson Bennett for the gig — but the Rams paid Jimmy Garoppolo barely $3MM to handle that role over the past two years. Dynamics in play here certainly separate this from merely staffing the QB2 job. With the exception of the Packers’ three-year Love developmental plan, QBs chosen in Round 1 play as rookies or, at the latest, by Year 2. Stafford is going into an age-38 season and is expected to sign an extension soon.
The Packers did add Love ahead of a Rodgers MVP season, but Stafford coming off an MVP campaign and seeing his team draft his successor is uncovered ground. No team rostering a reigning MVP quarterback has chosen another passer in the first or second round since the 1970 merger. But that is Stafford’s reality now. While this situation differs from the clunky Kirk Cousins–Michael Penix Jr. setup, as Stafford is unlikely to be benched anytime soon, a clock is almost certainly in place on his Rams tenure — rather than a Super Bowl frontrunner augmenting his current roster.
Makai Lemon was “definitely” in the mix to go to L.A. at 13, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, but this does not appear to have been a McVay-Les Snead power struggle. A personnel source informed Fowler that Simpson being there at 13 meant the Rams were taking him, going so far as to say the Alabama prospect compared favorably to No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza by some in the team’s building.
McVay “absolutely” was onboard with the pick, another source told Fowler, with a separate team source indicating the duo was in lockstep by “all indications.”
“I think Sean had a chat with Matthew before last night. And that’s one thing that Matthew’s definitely earned,” Snead said, via The Sedano and Cap Morning Show (h/t Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons) “It’s one of the things that we’re working together to go through it. Matthew is on his way to, I would say this, a Hall of Fame career, right? And he still has gas left in the tank. And big picture, our vision’s always been, ‘Hey, let’s make the most of this time with Matthew and his teammates — let’s chase special together, however long that may [last].’ There’s no timeline on this. The longer, the better. Matthew just came off an MVP season, so if he continues playing, it’s like, this is better for everyone involved.
“And I think at the end of the day, Sean and I are going to always work together in these types of decisions. … But there was a lot that was going on into maneuvering that draft. So, we’re in lockstep. We work together. We’re collaborative. It’s him and I partnering to try to do the best for the Rams.”
Snead played in the SEC (at Auburn) around the same time Simpson’s father (Jason) was at Mississippi State. Jason Simpson, the longtime HC at Tennessee-Martin, consulted with Snead on whether Ty should declare for the draft or stay in college. Snead said Ty was a first-round-level talent, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes. Simpson received $5MM and then $6.5MM offers from Miami to transfer there for the ’26 season, according to Pelissero. Snead had his eye on Simpson dating back to the fall, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes.
These discussions commenced before Alabama’s Rose Bowl game. Miami’s second offer would have compared to a second-round guarantee, but Simpson’s No. 13 overall pact will be worth $25.77MM fully guaranteed (per OverTheCap). When Ty’s parents discussed the QB’s future with Snead before his draft declaration, Pelissero indicates the longtime Rams GM conveyed a real possibility the Rams would draft him in the first round. (While the Rams’ draft slot was not known at that point, L.A. knew where its Atlanta-obtained pick would land since the Falcons’ season had ended.)
Simpson declared for the draft Jan. 7 — three days after the Falcons’ season wrapped — and the Rams carried a rare opportunity to find a Stafford heir apparent. The team’s draft slot regularly comes outside the top 20; it landed at No. 29 this year. The Rams traded their own pick to the Chiefs for Trent McDuffie, and the draft community had viewed that swap as a decision that would likely send Simpson elsewhere. The Rams were viewed as high on Simpson but were considered more likely to draft him at 29 than at 13 (or via a trade-down from 13).
Even if this was a Snead-based pick, McVay has held tremendous input since arriving in L.A. nine years ago. A source familiar with the organization’s inner workings told FanSided’s Jason La Canfora that McVay “pulls all the triggers, and especially on a quarterback.” It would be highly unlikely a coach with McVay’s track record would be overruled by his GM, leading some in the league to view McVay’s lack of post-draft enthrallment for the pick as performative for Stafford’s benefit.
McVay indeed called Stafford on Thursday, per Jones. This differed from the Falcons’ approach, as they famously did not call Cousins before the Penix pick. Stafford is on a different QB tier than Cousins, and while it will be interesting to hear the veteran passer’s thoughts on the move, Simpson will be expected to sit for a while. The move also came partially due to Garoppolo uncertainty, per Fowler, though that assuredly played a small part in this. Garoppolo, whom the Rams had wanted back, is considering retirement.
McVay said (via Jones) he does not believe this pick will affect Stafford extension talks. The Rams have reached revised deals with their five-year starter in each of the past two offseasons, but with the QB unsigned for 2027, a true extension is on the docket this year.
Stafford pursued a $50MM-plus-AAV deal last year, being allowed to explore a trade, but backed down — after aggressive Raiders and Giants pushes — and signed a reworked Rams pact that brought a $40MM early guarantee. Simpson’s status aside, Stafford will still carry considerable leverage in Rams talks. Though, it is worth wondering if Simpson’s arrival will affect how much in future guarantees the Rams will want to offer.
Tied closely to the Rams coming into the draft, Lemon fell to 20th (via an Eagles trade-up in front of the Steelers). The Rams also considered tight end Kenyon Sadiq, per Fowler, who adds Caleb Downs — had he fallen to 13 — was on the team’s radar. Dallas traded up one spot to ensure it landed Downs at No. 11. The Rams have pursued a young weapon in each of the previous two first rounds. They sought Brock Bowers in 2024 and made an offer for No. 8 overall — believed to be a Tetairoa McMillan aim — in 2025. They also were linked to Emeka Egbuka in last year’s first round.
That makes the Simpson-over-Lemon call interesting, but if the Rams are right on the passer (and they certainly have an optimal setup to develop one given McVay’s success), that will end up being the right play long term.
The Rams also received calls from teams eager to move ahead of the Ravens (at No. 14) for guard Vega Ioane, and while it would have made sense to explore sliding down and picking up assets, the team stood pat. That certainly furthers the belief McVay was firmly in Camp Simpson, despite the Crimson Tide signal-caller being a one-year college starter. Simpson, who was linked to the Cardinals and Jets (among other teams) in this draft, preferred to end up in L.A., Fowler adds.
Green Bay has seen its Love investment pay dividends, though its 2020 squad — despite a Rodgers MVP effort — fell just short of Super Bowl LV. The Packers have not been that close since, with a non-QB first-round pick potentially enough to make the difference in that Buccaneers matchup five Januarys ago. But the Packers have since extended Love, who has become an upper-crust QB. The Rams had not brought in a starter-level draft prospect under McVay, though the HC developed Snead draftee Jared Goff upon arrival.
The Simpson project will be scrutinized, but this will remain Stafford’s show for a while. The extension talks will be the next chapter to follow here, and it will be fascinating how long the Rams truly commit to their likely Hall of Fame-bound starter — and, perhaps, how long he now wants to commit to the team — now that they have his likely replacement rostered.
Browns Withdrew Five-Year Draft Rule Change Proposal
There were a number of interesting rule change proposals at the annual league meetings earlier this week. We saw an interesting progression in that process when Tom Pelissero of NFL Network announced that the Browns had withdrawn their rule change proposal. The proposal would have allowed NFL teams to trade future draft picks up to five years out, as opposed to the current limit of three.
The understanding around the league is that the proposal was essentially dead on arrival, but that doesn’t mean it’s dead for good. Per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, multiple sources seem to believe an amended version of the rule change proposal will be reintroduced at some point in the future. While it seems a waste to propose something again that no one expected to get passed, reports seem to indicate that the Browns are not alone in their efforts of pushing this particular rule change.
Per Rodrigue, it’s not uncommon for teams to collaborate on potential rule changes. When it gets enough support to warrant discussion, the coalition of teams will designate somebody to champion the effort in order to gauge the general interest of the league. They know the rule likely won’t go through right away, but this test proposal airs out initial reactions, arguments against, and some idea of factions. While ultimately a failing endeavor, the failed proposal by Cleveland was a productive one.
Two supporters of the potential change were Rams general manager Les Snead and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff. In an appearance on the Up & Adams Show, Snead told Kay Adams that he would’ve backed the project. Demoff, too, showed his support, praising the idea of increased flexibility for several teams, those who build their teams by collecting excessive pick loads and those who build by trading away theirs.
Some coaches and front office staffers did voice a dissenting opinion. One noted that “teams structurally change too frequently over five years,” going on to add that, for some teams, entire front offices and coaching staffs will have turned over within that time. Because of this, the moves of a desperate front office staffer trying to save his job today may just handicap his successors as they attempt to dig themselves out of the holes created by their predecessors.
In reality, with the current rule, we hardly ever see picks three years out getting traded. Additionally, there are a lot of checks and balances that exist within an organization that would prevent such trades from occurring with too much frequency. It may be the Browns who continue to champion the rule change proposal in the future with some amendments, or a second team may take up the torch in order to show a shared interest worth reading into. Regardless, this may not be the last we see of this discussion.
Rams Extend Sean McVay, Les Snead
The Rams will move forward with their Sean McVay-Les Snead partnership for the foreseeable future. Los Angeles announced on Monday the team’s head coach and general manager have each signed an extension. 
McVay’s future has been a talking point during recent years with the possibility of a pause from coaching being floated on multiple occasions. Despite recently during 40, he is already a veteran of nine years as an NFL head coach. That stretch has brought about plenty of success for the Rams, and expectations will remain high moving forward.
Snead has been in place since 2012. Each of his first five years in the role of GM produced a losing record, but the McVay hire proved to be a turning point. The Rams have finished above .500 all but once since 2017. During that stretch, they have also reached a pair of Super Bowls, winning one. The highly effective tandem will, to no surprise, remain intact for years to come.
Details on both deals were not disclosed. Nevertheless, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports the joint extensions have the same length. Given the success both McVay and Snead have enjoyed, their respective job securities are certainly not in doubt. Both can be expected to remain in place until they wish to depart the organization.
“As we enter their 10th season together, it is only fitting to reflect on the tremendous success Sean and Les have brought to this franchise, and the indelible impact they have made on Los Angeles and the NFL,” a statement from owner Stan Kroenke reads in part. “They continue to embody the standard of this franchise to compete for championships, consistently delivering a product that our fans and city can be proud of… We are thrilled they will be leading the Los Angeles Rams for years to come.”
Snead’s most recent extension came in September 2022. The 55-year-old worked his way through the scouting ranks early in his NFL career before leading the Falcons’ player personnel department from 2009-11. Snead was then hired as the Rams’ GM, and he is now the league’s sixth-longest tenured staffer in that position. He is in line to continue climbing the list in that regard.
McVay has cemented his status as one of the league’s top offensive minds over the course of his HC tenure. The Rams have posted double digit wins seven times under McVay, who has helped develop several members of his staff on their way to head coaching gigs of their own. The latest example in that regard is Mike LaFleur, who parlayed his OC tenure in Los Angeles into the Cardinals’ head coaching position. With his latest contract now worked out, McVay’s attention will turn to finding a LaFleur replacement.
The Rams were seen by many as a serious Super Bowl contender throughout the 2025 campaign, one which yielded a 12-5 record. Los Angeles edged Carolina on the road in the wild-card round before winning in overtime in Chicago one week later. That set up a rematch with the division rival Seahawks in the NFC title game. Seattle secured a 31-27 victory, ending the Rams’ season. The team has not waited long to make a new commitment to its HC-GM pair.
McVay and Snead have combined to win 102 regular season and playoff games during their time together. That total is second to only Andy Reid and Brett Veach (Chiefs) for active head coach-general manager tandems. Adding further to that total will be the expectation for all involved moving forward.
For now, the future of quarterback Matthew Stafford is unclear. The MVP finalist has not yet decided if he will continue playing in 2026, and losing him to retirement would of course deal a blow to Los Angeles’ offense. In any case, McVay will continue operating on the sidelines with Snead remaining in place in the front office as the Rams look to go one step further next season.
Rams Could Consider Matthew Stafford Trade; Latest On Cooper Kupp, Kyren Williams
The Rams naturally want to get clarity on quarterback Matthew Stafford’s status sooner rather than later. Although it is not yet a sure thing, it sounds as if the soon-to-be 37-year-old passer is prepared to continue his playing career. His contract, however, continues to be a talking point.
While Stafford is under club control through 2026, last summer’s restructure – which frontloaded most of his guarantees into 2024 – essentially turned his deal into a year-to-year accord. With a $23MM base salary and only $4MM in guaranteed money due in 2025, Stafford’s current pact is a team-friendly one, and therefore one which could be attractive to other clubs in need of a short-term QB fix (even if such a club would need to make an upward adjustment to the contract).
Indeed, both Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic (subscription required) and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believe that a Stafford trade is on the table. Given that the Rams just advanced to the second round of the playoffs, have a bevy of talented young players, and do not have an immediate Stafford successor in place, such a move would be surprising. That is especially true since Stafford is unlikely to fetch the high-end draft capital that the Rams dealt to the Lions to acquire him several years ago, and since Los Angeles’ first pick in the upcoming draft is the No. 26 overall selection.
Still, GM Les Snead did not shoot down the notion and merely suggested that he would not actively seek a trade.
“[I]t’ll take someone calling or us reaching out if we want to [make a trade],” Snead said (via Florio). “Those are the things that’ll be determined down the road here.”
Of course, hammering out a new or reworked contract with Stafford is also a real possibility. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2009 draft may not be at the height of his powers, but he is still a capable player, and a team like the Rams that has designs on another postseason run in 2025 will be hard-pressed to find an obvious plug-and-play upgrade. Indeed, head coach Sean McVay said last year that he is happy to have Stafford as his QB1 for as long as Stafford wants to play.
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp, another key piece of the club’s recent Super Bowl-winning outfit, is facing an even more uncertain LA future. The 2021 Triple Crown winner has struggled to stay healthy since that historic campaign, playing in 33 of a possible 51 regular season games over the past three years. His production has slipped accordingly, and he finished the 2024 season with 67 catches for 710 yards and six scores in 12 games. He still saw 100 targets but posted a 67% catch percentage, well below the marks he achieved from 2018-2022.
Kupp, 31, has clearly been surpassed by Puka Nacua in the Rams’ WR hierarchy, and his $29.78MM cap number in 2025 could be untenable for Los Angeles. Only $5MM of his $12.5MM base salary is guaranteed, and he has a roster bonus of $7.5MM that will not trigger until March 19. The Rams, who shopped the Eastern Washington product in advance of the 2024 trade deadline, will certainly want to execute a trade or release before that date.
For his part, Kupp confirmed that he will continue his playing career, though he realizes he may have played his last game for the Rams.
“Who knows what is going to happen?” he said. “A lot of stuff is out of my control. We’ll see (what) it’s going to be. There was obviously stuff that was going on early in the season and we’ll see. I don’t have any clarity on what that’s gonna look like. Obviously would love to be in L.A., but I don’t know what that is gonna look like.”
Running back Kyren Williams, on the other hand, looks like he will remain in Southern California for the foreseeable future. Now that he has accrued three years of service time, he is eligible for an extension, and Snead suggested he is amenable to having those conversations with Williams’ camp.
“He’s a Ram,” Snead said of Williams (via Rodrigue, who indicated that is language team brass uses for “heartbeat” players).
“I think [an extension is] something that’s going to be on the plate,” Snead added. “[Williams] would be someone that after three years you could begin discussing, let’s call it, renegotiating, starting anew. Because I do think Kyren is someone who is a Ram and has a very impactful role for us” (via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website).
Williams has seized Los Angeles’ RB1 job over the past two years, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2023 and tallying 316 carries for 1,299 yards (4.1 YPC) and 16 combined TDs in 2024.
The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs
The latest NFL general manager hiring cycle only produced two changes, but each took over for an executive who appeared in good standing at this point last year.
Steve Keim had held his Cardinals GM post since January 2013, and the Cardinals gave both he and Kliff Kingsbury extensions — deals that ran through 2027 — in March of last year. Arizona has since rebooted, moving on from both Keim and Kingsbury. Keim took a leave of absence late last season, and the Cardinals replaced him with ex-Titans exec Monti Ossenfort.
[RELATED: The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches]
As the Cardinals poached one of the Titans’ top front office lieutenants, Tennessee went with an NFC West staffer to replace Jon Robinson. The move to add 49ers FO bastion Ran Carthon also came less than a year after the Titans reached extension agreements with both Robinson and HC Mike Vrabel. But controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk canned Robinson — in place as GM since January 2016 — before last season ended. Adams Strunk cited player unavailability and roster quality among the reasons she chose to move on despite having extended Robinson through the 2027 draft months earlier. The Titans are now pairing Vrabel and Carthon.
The Bills reached an extension agreement with GM Brandon Beane two weeks ago. Hired shortly after the team gave Sean McDermott the HC keys, Beane has helped the Bills to five playoff berths in six seasons. Beane’s deal keeps him signed through 2027. Chargers GM Tom Telesco has hit the 10-year mark leading that front office, while this year also marks the 10th offseason of Buccaneers honcho Jason Licht‘s tenure running the NFC South team. Although Jim Irsay fired Frank Reich and later admitted he reluctantly extended his former HC in 2021, the increasingly active Colts owner has expressed confidence in Chris Ballard.
Here is how the NFL’s GM landscape looks going into the 2023 season:
- Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
- Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
- Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
- Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
- John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
- Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010; signed extension in 2022
- Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
- Tom Telesco (Los Angeles Chargers): January 9, 2013; signed extension in 2018
- Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
- Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
- John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2020
- Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
- Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
- Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
- Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
- Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
- Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
- Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
- Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
- George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
- Scott Fitterer (Carolina Panthers): January 14, 2021
- Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021
- Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
- Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
- Martin Mayhew (Washington Commanders): January 22, 2021
- Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
- Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
- Dave Ziegler (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
- Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
- Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
- Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023
Footnotes:
- Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
- Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
- Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
- Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018
AFC East Notes: Ramsey, Patriots, Hardman
A year after acquiring Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb via trade, the Dolphins added another standout in Jalen Ramsey. Miami became a destination for Ramsey, whom Albert Breer of SI.com notes had zeroed in on landing with the AFC East club. Sean McVay met with Ramsey in January and informed him the Rams would explore trade options, mentioning the team would explore a deal as a way to restock its draft capital and reduce costs. Rams GM Les Snead called teams two weeks before the Combine to gauge interest, and after Dolphins GM Chris Grier confirmed his team might be, Vic Fangio provided a positive opinion of Ramsey’s place in his defense.
After Ramsey’s agent informed him about a Miami deal, the All-Pro cornerback instructed his representative to make sure he ended up there. The Rams may not have traded Ramsey to the Dolphins just because he wanted to be there, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets, but they did want him out of the NFC. Snead’s price point was initially too high for the Dolphins, per Breer, but the sides settled on a package of a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long. A far cry from what the Rams sent the Jaguars for Ramsey in 2019 — two first-round picks and a fourth — but the Dolphins now have the eighth-year veteran on the roster and have since adjusted his contract.
Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- The Patriots discussed DeAndre Hopkins with the Cardinals early this offseason, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, but they backed off due to Arizona’s ask (subscription required). The Cardinals are rumored to be seeking a second-round pick and change here. The NFC West team is not expected to land that, as Howe adds other teams believe the Cards want to dump Hopkins’ salary ($19.45MM in 2023). The Bills and Chiefs are now the closest links to the former All-Pro wideout.
- Mecole Hardman committed to the Jets after Aaron Rodgers indicated he wanted to be traded to New York, but the ex-Chiefs wideout said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) the four-time MVP’s intentions did not affect his decision. While it would seem that would have at least moved the needle a bit — compared to a world in which Zach Wilson was on track for a third QB1 Jets season, at least — Hardman said he was excited to play with Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard. Hardman added (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello) the Jets showed interest throughout his free agency, which ended with a one-year deal worth up to $6.5MM. Hardman did not elaborate on a Chiefs offer to bring him back, but he seemed to confirm the defending champions’ previously reported plan to move on.
- A faction of the Patriots‘ locker room voiced support for Bailey Zappe during last season’s brief QB controversy, Devin McCourty confirmed during a WEEI interview (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss). “It was just a back and forth, which to me, spoke more about what we had on offense than the quarterback,” McCourty said. “We never were solidified as an offensive group that guys had full confidence in anything we were doing. There was never true hope.” The Pats, who regressed on offense in 2022, have since rehired Bill O’Brien as OC. While Mac Jones won his job back amid a dysfunctional season, the Pats will give Zappe a chance to push him this year.
- The incentives in Mike Gesicki‘s one-year, $4.5MM Patriots contract include $300K bumps starting at the 40-reception mark, Doug Kyed of AtoZSports.com tweets. Gesicki could collect $1.2MM if he reaches 70 catches in 2023. There are also up to $1.2MM in available yardage incentives, with that escalator package starting at 450 yards and ending at 750. Playing-time incentives are also included in the package.
- Up to $4MM in incentives are present in Riley Reiff‘s one-year, $5MM deal. He will earn $800K by playing 53% of the Pats’ offensive snaps, per Kyed (on Twitter). These figures decrease the higher the snap rate goes, but Reiff can earn all $4.5MM by reaching an 80% snap rate.
Rams Committed To Retaining Matthew Stafford
After a disastrous title defense in 2022, the Rams are taking a far different approach to this offseason than they have in years past. That has already led to a number of high-profile departures, but a complete tear-down will not be taking place. 
During a press conference leading up free agency, general manager Les Snead confirmed that quarterback Matthew Stafford is one of a number of veterans who remain firmly in the team’s plans for 2023 and beyond. “I think we’ll definitely rely on Matthew, he’s definitely one of our pillars,” he said, via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue (subscription required). “He’s definitely someone we’re going to rely on, [who] we’re gonna have to rely on as we do remodel this.”
Snead, as noted above, declined to use the term ‘rebuild’ to describe the Rams’ situation, one which comes after years of aggressive moves aimed at adding not only Stafford but several other veterans who helped them win Super Bowl LVI. Now, they are destined to move in a different direction as the clearing of expensive contracts has already begun, resulting in the release of edge rusher Leonard Floyd and, once the new league year begins, linebacker Bobby Wagner.
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey is also expected to be on the move, and multiple teams have called to gauge the 28-year-old’s market. On the offensive side of the ball, 2022 free agent addition Allen Robinson has been given permission to seek a trade, meaning the wideout’s tenure with the Rams could be cut far shorter than many would have expected one year ago. Not all notable names will be dealt away in the near future, however.
In addition to Stafford, Snead named receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive tackle Aaron Donald as “weight-bearing walls” who will be counted on during this transitional phase for the franchise. All three players were signed to new, lucrative deals last offseason, meaning Los Angeles would incur major dead cap charges in the next few years if they were to trade or release them. Snead acknowledged, though, that he has fielded trade calls on nine different players ahead of an offseason in which more significant roster turnover can be expected.
“We’re trying to assess situations, figure out how to get under the cap [and] what’s the best way to do that,” he added, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “We’ve had calls on a lot of our players. Probably other places trying to figure out what are we doing big picture and things like that. It’s been a busy off season discussing players.”
The Rams are currently $9.1MM over the cap, and like all other teams must get under the cap ceiling by Wednesday. Part of the process of putting themselves in a better financial situation could indicate a multi-year rebuild seeing Stafford, Donald and Kupp departing, but such an approach is unlikely at this point.
Rams Extend GM Les Snead
Throughout the offseason, new deals were expected to be finalized for Rams head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead. Per a team announcement on Thursday, both are indeed set to remain with the team for years to come.
McVay had already confirmed his new deal one month ago, and he made it clear at that time that an announcement regarding Snead would be forthcoming. With the Rams’ title defense beginning in a matter of hours, many expected that announcement to come today. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the pair are now on the books through the 2026 season.
To no surprise, both McVay and Snead are now thought to be among the league’s highest-paid at their respective positions. The Rams have seen consistent success during their time guiding the franchise, including last season’s Super Bowl win. That has come during Snead’s increasing reliance on his unorthodox roster-building strategy of forgoing premium draft picks in return for proven commodities at important positions (including, most notably, quarterback Matthew Stafford).
Los Angeles has not made a first-round selection since 2016, and does not own one until 2024. Still, the effectiveness of the 51-year-old’s actions led to joint extensions for both he and McVay in 2019. Another set of deals keeping them together was widely expected to be the team’s preference, and became possible once the latter confirmed that he would continue coaching in lieu of a broadcasting career.
Snead has held his current title since 2012, ranking him in the top-10 with respect to the NFL’s longest-tenured GMs. He will look to continue climbing the ladder in that regard, while seeking continuity on the roster he has molded into a champion. Much of that has already been taken care of, with new deals being signed in recent months by Stafford, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and receiver Cooper Kupp.
The long-term future of the organization has been questioned by some given the ‘all-in’ nature of Snead’s moves. Further titles remain possible for at least the next few years, however, and he will still be at the helm if/when the team’s Super Bowl window closes given today’s news.
Sean McVay Confirms Rams Extension
Amidst the several headline-grabbing financial moves the Rams have made this offseason, it has been widely expected that a new deal for head coach Sean McVay was among the team’s priorities. He confirmed on Tuesday that a new contract has indeed been agreed upon (Twitter link via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic). 
McVay made the announcement during a press conference; details on the length and value of the deal are still unknown, and likely will be for some time. He added that the team will wait to officially announce it until an extension with general manager Les Snead is finalized, tweets NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“Les and I have always been a pair,” McVay said, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “We wanted to be able to announce that when both of us [had] gotten done. Mine is done. Les is in the process of that.”
The 36-year-old recently spoke about his decision to decline a broadcasting deal and remain on the sidelines with the defending champions. The possibility of his departure loomed over their Super Bowl victory, but McVay had two years remaining on his contract before today’s news. He has also widely been expected to receive a substantial raise from the $8.5MM annual value of his old pact.
Likewise, it comes as little surprise that McVay and Snead will be re-upped simultaneously. The two signed joint extensions in 2019, and have achieved significant success together. A new contract for Snead was considered an inevitability once those of Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp were taken care of. McVay’s remarks point to both extensions being made official in the near future.
With much of their championship core still intact from last season, the Rams are contenders to repeat in 2022. With McVay (and, all-but assuredly, Snead) remaining at the helm for several years into the future, their intermediate future looks positive as well.