The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine will run through the weekend and into Monday, but Sean McVay’s work is done in Indianapolis. He spent just one night at the combine, doing his media obligations before leaving on Wednesday to head back to Los Angeles.
General manager Les Snead is still at Lucas Oil Stadium doing the bulk of the scouting with his team, though he acknowledged that the Rams’ initial draft board is already set. He also spoke to the media this week, shedding light on a number of topics.
McVay and Snead touched on everything from Todd Gurley’s workload to the franchise tag to Jared Goff’s regression to Tyler Higbee’s future in L.A. Here are the most interesting and important things the coach and GM said at the combine.
Franchise tag :: Whitworth’s status :: Higbee’s future :: Ramsey deal :: Goff regression :: McVay’s growth :: Draft plan :: Gurley’s workload
Rams would be open to using franchise tag
Teams can begin using the franchise tag on Thursday, Feb. 27 with the deadline to apply it coming on March 12. The Rams have two obvious candidates for the tag with Cory Littleton and Dante Fowler Jr., and while it would be a costly move, it isn’t one the Rams are completely opposed to. Snead made it clear that the team would prefer not to use the tag, but acknowledged that both the franchise and transition tags are available.
“We have a franchise and a transition available right now, right,” Snead said. “There hasn’t been a collective bargaining agreement so I think at that point we’re still going through a lot of things, trying to determine the best strategy to get as many of our good football players who’ve helped us win a lot of games over the last three years back. That’s always impossible but having those tools in the tool box definitely allows you to try to accomplish that.”
He continued:
“We would always love to get things done before, try not to use the tag because that can become more of a short-term type decision, but it doesn’t mean that you do. Technically, I think you try to work to the deadline to get something done with the players you want to get done, and then from there, as it gets closer, decide is it best to utilize that or not.”
Franchise tag :: Whitworth’s status :: Higbee’s future :: Ramsey deal :: Goff regression :: McVay’s growth :: Draft plan :: Gurley’s workload