After taking a while to think about his NFL future, Sean McVay has determined to return because the Los Angeles Rams‘ head coach in 2023, as ESPN first reported. McVay and the Rams received a Tremendous Bowl simply 11 months in the past, however a 5-12 report in 2022, the potential for a long-term rebuild in L.A., household considerations, and normal burnout all reportedly led the 36-year-old to ponder retirement.
As an alternative, McVay will probably be again for his seventh season in Los Angeles, the place there will probably be a number of burning questions all through the offseason. Can the Rams handle a fast turnaround and develop into a playoff contender as quickly as subsequent season? And the way does McVay’s return have an effect on the remainder of the L.A.’s teaching workers?
Sean McVay Will Coach the Rams in 2023
As McVay’s Rams look to return to relevancy in 2023, there needs to be at the very least one optimistic factor on the horizon: harm luck.
Los Angeles handled horrendous well being points at almost each spot on their depth chart. Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Allen Robinson — the core of the Rams’ offense — every suffered accidents, whereas almost everything of the membership’s offensive line went down. If L.A.’s harm luck regresses to the imply subsequent season, improved well being alone ought to lead to some further wins.
However the Rams may also want to enhance their roster. Common supervisor Les Snead needs to be trying to find assist alongside the offensive line, one other cross catcher, an additional cross rusher, and depth within the secondary.
Los Angeles has already traded its first- and fourth-round picks on this 12 months’s draft, however they’ll have further choices within the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds. Snead’s entrance workplace has proven an inherent ability for getting essentially the most out of late-round draft decisions, and they should get youthful after ending the season because the NFL’s third-oldest staff by snap-weighted age.
The Rams are projected to be almost $10 million over the wage cap in 2023, and so they don’t have a ton of launch candidates that might save them cash towards the cap.
As an alternative, L.A. will seemingly restructure the offers of gamers like Kupp, Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, and Robinson. They will push cash into the longer term to create extra cap area within the current, however such maneuvers will solely make it harder to chop these gamers down the road.
In a weak NFC the place the convention’s sixth and seventh seeds each reached solely 9 wins, the Rams aren’t that far-off from competing once more. They’ll seemingly must dig themselves right into a deeper monetary gap so as to add expertise, however with McVay again within the fold, a win-now technique is the staff’s solely choice.
What Does McVay’s Return Imply for the Rams’ Teaching Workers?
Now that he’s determined to return, McVay can get to work checking out the remainder of his teaching workers. McVay — who had advised Rams assistants he wouldn’t block them from leaving this offseason, even for a lateral transfer — is now working by way of “potential workers modifications” for subsequent 12 months, per NFL Media.
Los Angeles had a “contingency plan” in place had McVay determined to retire, as Rams COO Kevin Demoff advised the Los Angeles Occasions on Thursday. Demoff didn’t reveal who L.A. had in thoughts to take over for McVay. Nonetheless, it’s honest to imagine inner candidates like defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and assistant head coach/tight ends Thomas Brown, each of whom are drawing head coach curiosity, would have been thought of for a promotion.
Morris has already interviewed with the Colts and has a gathering lined up with the Broncos, whereas the Texans have requested permission to interview Brown. Even when these high lieutenants stay in place subsequent season, McVay nonetheless must discover a new offensive coordinator.
McVay calls the Rams’ offensive performs, however he’s all the time had a trusted aide within the OC position. Matt LaFleur and Kevin O’Connell crammed that place earlier than touchdown head teaching jobs, whereas 2022 coordinator Liam Coen simply returned to the College of Kentucky.
If McVay needs to alleviate a few of his each day pressures as head coach, it’s not not possible to suppose he may relinquish his duties as a play-caller. In that case, Brown or passing recreation/coordinator Zac Robinson would profile as sturdy candidates to take over. Alternatively, the Rams may have a look at outdoors choices like former Colts head coach Frank Reich or former Cardinals head coach (and McVay good friend) Kliff Kingsbury.
