Reenergized Sean McVay focused on building Rams through the draft

By Eric Williams
Published

Sean McVay decided to stay with the Los Angeles Rams as the team's head coach nearly two months ago. So you can understand why he would like to move on from that narrative as the league enters the start of free agency. 

When speaking to reporters for the first time since making that decision, the 37-year-old McVay stressed that he does not want his coaching status to become a yearly talking point. McVay pondered taking a job in television after the Rams won Super Bowl LVI and again evaluated his options after L.A.'s disappointing 5-12 finish in 2022 — his first losing season in six years. 

"In some instances, when you lose your way you can lose your perspective on things," McVay said. "For the time I had to reflect, I'm really grateful — without great ownership, you wouldn't have that. … You want to make sure that you are making a decision that's in alignment for years to come, not an every year type of deal." 

McVay said he has reestablished his purpose with the team, and it's time to start building the roster for the upcoming season. That effort started with the Rams shedding salary by mutually parting ways with linebacker Bobby Wagner, trading Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins and releasing the team's leading pass rusher in Leonard Floyd. The team also has granted permission for receiver Allen Robinson to seek a trade. 

"The most important thing for me moving forward is not necessarily talking about it, but being about it," McVay said. "There's been a lot of talk over the last couple years, and it gets to a point where you just kind of roll your eyes, because that's how I would feel.

"You just got to go do it — have a joy and a purpose and a perspective and being grounded in all of those things, and I think you realize how much work it takes to do that." 

While moving on from some premium players, McVay said he would be up for a possible turn of two big-play receivers: Odell Beckham Jr. and Robert Woods.

Beckham last played for the Rams in the Super Bowl, suffering a torn ACL in his left knee during the team's win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He did not play last season as he rehabbed from the injury but held a private workout for scouts in Arizona last week. The Rams were one of 13 teams on hand, according to reports.

The Rams traded Woods, a Los Angeles native, to the Tennessee Titans last offseason. He totaled 53 receptions for 527 yards and two touchdowns in 2022 for Tennessee and was released after the season. Wood signed a two-year, $15.25 million deal to join the Houston Texans last week.

"When you talk about two great players like that, to say that there's not interest, that would certainly be silly," McVay told reporters. "Those are situations that we'll absolutely monitor. There's a lot of layers to it, relative to what are the ways you can set up adding them and how does that fit with the puzzle that you really have to put together, with some different pieces." 

The Rams turned a team-building strategy of flipping premium picks for premium players into two Super Bowl appearances, including a title. McVay led the franchise to three NFC West titles, four playoff appearance and a 70-45 record (including postseason) over six seasons.

But now the Rams must pay for their big spending by releasing some of their high-dollar players to get under the salary cap, starting a new rebuilding process that will rely heavily on the draft and building around core players like Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford.

The Rams received a third-round selection from the Dolphins in the trade for Ramsey and now have 11 picks in the upcoming draft. While L.A. will go without a first-round selection for a seventh straight year, the Rams do have three picks (36, 69, 77) in the top 100. 

"There will be a need to develop and go with some younger guys through the draft and through undrafted free agency and have a little bit different approach," McVay said. "But those were things that we kind of have known. You work through and really try to just be intentional about, ‘Alright, what do we really have to do?' And when some of these decisions have to be made just based on those parameters, you have nothing to do but be able to move forward. 

"And it doesn't take away the challenges and the human element, where it will end up probably having to move on from some guys that you really care a lot about and you build and develop relationships with. But it is different. It's something that you got to be able to go attack and handle it the right way one day at a time." 

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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