Tag: Les Snead

What positions each NFL GM drafted in top 100 picks since 2011

Where Bill Belichick, Les Snead, Tom Telesco and some of the NFL’s longest tenured GM’s used their draft capital since 2011.

Do tendencies tell us anything about what your NFL GM will do with their picks in the top three rounds? It might. At very least it could tell you what positions they value and don’t shy away from.

Former NFL analytics person Arjun Menon put together a spreadsheet of GM’s across the league to see where they spent most of their draft capital over the past 13 years. And it had some interesting results.

In terms of percentage, no team spent more draft picks on any single position than Ravens GM Eric DeCosta with 29.41% (5) of his picks in the top 100 on wide receivers.

If you’re looking at raw numbers, it was Rams GM Les Snead and his seven picks (20.50%) on wide receivers that leads the way.

Along with wide receiver, the positions that seem to be selected most with the top 100 picks are edge rusher and cornerback. Bill Belichick spent seven picks on each position which easily led any other position.

While the least picked position would be center, with many GM’s — including Belichick and Snead — having never selected one in the top 100.

The most drafted position for Raiders GM Tom Telesco in his ten years with the Chargers was linebacker which he selected 15.62% (5) of the time. Next up he had four pick each at wide receiver and guard (12.5%).

Overall, Telesco’s range of picks was spread out somewhat evenly. He used at least one pick at every position and had no positions even reach 16% of his picks.

Look: Ernest Jones appears motivated by Rams’ decision not to extend him yet

Les Snead said the Rams most likely won’t extend Ernest Jones this offseason and the LB appeared to respond on social media

Having finished his third NFL season in 2023, Ernest Jones is eligible for a contract extension. He doesn’t have to wait for his rookie deal to expire after the 2024 campaign, but it sounds like the Los Angeles Rams won’t be extending him before that time.

Les Snead told reporters this week that the team doesn’t plan to sign Jones to an extension this offseason, instead using its cap space and resources to bring in outside talent as it pushes for a Super Bowl next season. Snead said the Rams remain in contact with Jones’ agent but no extension is expected to come this year.

Jones appeared to respond to that news on social media with a couple of cryptic, yet pointed posts. On Twitter, he posted a single emoji, and on Instagram, he shared a photo of himself with the caption “bet.”

Jones will play out the final year of his contract before either signing an extension with the Rams in 2025 or testing the free-agent market. The Rams could also franchise tag him next year if it comes to it, but they’d rather do a multi-year extension instead of playing a game of tag.

This could work in Jones’ favor if he has a big 2024 season and increases his value, thus leading to a bigger contract next year.

Rams don’t plan to sign Ernest Jones to extension before 2024 season

Ernest Jones has one year left on his contract and it sounds like he won’t get an extension before this season

It’s rare for the Los Angeles Rams to sign a player to an extension before his rookie contract expires. They did so with both Jared Goff and Todd Gurley, but neither of those deals worked out the way Los Angeles had hoped.

While Ernest Jones is eligible for an extension right now, it doesn’t sound like the Rams will sign him to a new deal before his rookie contract ends in 2025. Les Snead told reporters at the annual league meetings on Monday that Jones will most likely play out the final year of his rookie contract before potentially signing an extension with the Rams.

The reasoning is because the Rams want to prioritize adding to their roster rather than re-signing their own players internally. Having already spent a bunch of money on free agents such as Jonah Jackson, Kevin Dotson and Colby Parkinson, the Rams want to continue adding as many pieces as they can before the season begins.

Jones carries a cap hit of only $3.3 million for the 2024 season, a small number for one of the defense’s most important players now that Aaron Donald is retired. If the Rams were to extend Jones, they wouldn’t have to increase his 2024 cap number, but it’s possible Jones’ camp would want a raise this year rather than waiting until after his rookie deal expires.

Waiting to do a deal with Jones could cost the Rams more in the long run if he continues playing at such a high level. They’re willing to take that chance, though, knowing it could allow them to bring in more talent before next season.

Stetson Bennett expected participate in Rams’ offseason workouts

Stetson Bennett hasn’t been with the Rams since being placed on the NFI list last September, but he’s expected to return for spring workouts

It’s been a long time since fans saw Stetson Bennett on the football field but he’s expected to make his return to the Los Angeles Rams soon. At the annual owners meetings on Monday, general manager Les Snead told reporters that the plan is for Bennett to participate in the team’s offseason workouts this spring.

That’s less than a month away, as the Rams can begin their offseason workout program on April 15. In the meantime, Snead said Bennett has been working out in Dallas. He recently shared a video of himself training with a group, which was led by Patrick Mahomes’ trainer.

Bennett was placed on the non-football illness list last September, spending his entire rookie season away from the team. The Rams still have not disclosed the reason for his absence, only indicating that it was a personal issue.

Coach Sean McVay said this offseason that it’s unclear if Bennett will be back with the team, but this seems to be a step in the right direction. If he does remain with the Rams, he’ll likely be the No. 3 quarterback behind new backup Jimmy Garoppolo.

The Rams selected Bennett in the fourth round of last year’s draft, taking him with the 128th overall pick. He played in all three preseason games but did not appear in a regular-season game.

Rams aren’t looking for next Aaron Donald: ‘There isn’t another one on the planet’

Les Snead says the Rams aren’t looking for the next Aaron Donald because there will never be another player like him

Aaron Donald came into the NFL in 2014 as a 6-foot-1 and 285-pound defensive tackle. He was widely viewed as undersized for the position, but with the strength of a 330-pound nose tackle and the quickness of a running back, that rare combination made him a superstar with the Rams for 10 years.

That combination is also what makes him unlike any other player in the league. Sure, there are some who have been compared to Donald, but it’s highly unlikely anyone will ever match his production (111 sacks) and required attention (double- and triple-teams) as a defensive tackle.

It’s exactly why the Rams aren’t going into the draft this year looking for the next Aaron Donald. There isn’t one. General manager Les Snead knows that, telling Peter Schrager on his podcast that the Rams don’t need to find someone to replace AD. They just need to focus on finding good defensive players.

“I think the mantra in our building now, I think I said it a little bit to match Aaron’s very concise way of going about his business and it really is true: There will never be another Aaron Donald, so the journey is not, ‘OK, we’ve got to go find our next Aaron Donald.’ That is not happening, there isn’t another one on the planet, so guess what? Let’s go find good defensive players and begin the next chapter. But we’re not looking for the next Aaron Donald. He doesn’t exist,” Snead said.

There are some quality defensive tackles in this year’s class, including Byron Murphy II and Johnny Newton, both of whom could be targets for Los Angeles in Round 1. Ruke Orhorhoro and Braden Fiske are also options on Day 2.

No matter who the Rams draft, expecting them to fill the gigantic shoes of Donald is unfair. Sure, they can help fill the void left by No. 99, but no one will be a one-for-one replacement along the Rams’ defensive line.

Where Mickey Loomis ranks among the NFL’s 10 longest-tenured general managers

How Mickey Loomis compares among the NFL’s 10 longest-tenured general managers in win percentage, playoff records, and championships:

Mickey Loomis has been calling shots for the New Orleans Saints for a long time. There isn’t another general manager — or at least no one who share that title — who has held the job as long as he has in pro football. But how much more experience does he have than his peers?

Sure, there are de facto GM’s like Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown, but they ceded personal control to trusted assistants years ago. At the end of the day Loomis is involved with every decision the Saints make in free agency and on draft day, either okaying the suggestions of his staff or making the call himself. With contemporaries like Bill Belichick and Kevin Colbert leaving storied franchises the Saints try to emulate, Loomis is left alone.

And the gap between him and the next generation of GM’s around the league is staggering. Here’s how Loomis stacks up among the NFL’s 10 longest-tenured executives:

Raheem Morris loved how well Sean McVay and Les Snead worked together

Raheem Morris says he told Sean McVay he was jealous of how well he and Les Snead worked together in LA

Raheem Morris left the Los Angeles Rams this offseason to become the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach – an opportunity he’s been waiting years for. It was a well-deserved promotion for the former Rams defensive coordinator, getting a second chance at being a full-time head coach in the NFL after his first stint came when he was just 32 years old.

When he first joined the Rams in 2021, he quickly noticed one thing: how well Sean McVay and Les Snead worked together. Head coaches and general managers aren’t always in lockstep, but McVay and Snead have a great relationship that has helped them turn the Rams into perennial contenders.

Morris even told McVay in 2021 that he was jealous of his relationship with Snead.

“When I got there, one of the first things I told Sean, just noticing how he moved and the daily rhythm and routine and things that we’d done was, ‘Man, I am jealous of you and Les Snead’s relationship.’ I said, ‘To watch you guys collaborate and move in silence, be able to talk about everything, have your communication ongoing, have your communication consistent, honest, open. All of those things that you do with each other, that is the next step,’” Morris said during his introductory press conference in Atlanta on Monday.

Morris added that seeing McVay and Snead win a championship together, followed by a down year in 2022 and a quick turnaround in 2023 was “a really cool process” and a “really cool learning experience for me.”

Morris won’t be part of the ongoing rebuild the Rams are in the midst of, but he knows they’re in good hands with McVay and Snead.

Les Snead doesn’t expect Rams to go on spending spree when free agency opens

Rams GM Les Snead doesn’t expect the team to go out and blow a ton of money at the start of free agency in March

The Los Angeles Rams used last offseason to reset their salary cap situation, shedding some of their most expensive contracts by trading Jalen Ramsey and cutting both Leonard Floyd and Bobby Wagner. That gives the team some added flexibility this offseason, allowing Los Angeles to be more aggressive in free agency.

Even with nearly $28 million in projected cap space, according to Over The Cap, the Rams are unlikely to go on a spending spree when the market opens in March. Rams GM Les Snead told reporters last week that even with some more cap space than usual, Los Angeles won’t go crazy early in free agency.

“It’s going to give you the element of, OK, is there a possible unrestricted free agent that we haven’t really been able to acquire in the past? And it also allows you to, if you do make trades for veterans, you can take on their salaries. It gives you flexibility. I don’t think we’re sitting here today going, ‘Let’s spend all $40 million within the first hour.”

The Rams typically focus on re-signing their own free agents, which could include Kevin Dotson, Coleman Shelton, Demarcus Robinson or Ahkello Witherspoon this offseason. However, they’ve also made splashes in the past, signing Leonard Floyd, Allen Robinson and Ndamukong Suh in free agency.

Based on Snead’s comments, it seems they won’t be one of the biggest spenders, but he also didn’t rule out signing a big name.

Rams GM Les Snead gives ringing endorsement for Raheem Morris with 3-minute monologue

Les Snead shared the highest praise possible for Raheem Morris, endorsing him as a head coaching candidate for teams with openings

The number of people lining up to endorse Raheem Morris as a head coaching candidate is getting quite long. Sean McVay, Jalen Ramsey, Kevin Demoff, and countless others have shared nothing but praise for the Rams defensive coordinator as teams consider him to be their next head coach, and Les Snead has once again joined the party.

Snead opened his conference call with reporters on Friday by giving a three-minute monologue about Morris and why he would make such a great head coach.

“I’ll open with this. I don’t usually do monologues, but I do want to talk about Raheem, just because I know he’s interviewing for just about every head coaching job in the NFL right now,” Snead opened. “And it’s been three years, but I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to talk about him. Number one, I think we all know, great human being. The guy is coded to respect everyone, to build a relationship with everyone no matter where you’re at in the organization.”

Snead continued by talking about just how smart Morris is as a person, beyond just the football side, too. And the fact that he’s worked on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball makes him an even more qualified candidate in Snead’s mind.

Snead knows that if Morris does land a head coaching job, he’ll be able to hire an impressive staff and he won’t have any trouble attracting players because everyone will want to play for him.

“He’s a highly intelligent human being who happened to choose football, and probably could’ve done a lot of things in life, but chose the path of football. … He’s going to give any organization an edge just based on how collaborative he is,” Snead continued. “It’s going to be an edge that most teams aren’t going to be able to compete with. He’ll be able to hire an unbelievable staff. Every coach who’s any good, who’s qualified, they’re going to want to work for Raheem and I’m pretty sure there’ll be a lot of tampering charges because just about every player in the NFL is going to text him wanting to go play for him.”

Morris has interviewed with two teams already and is also interviewing with a third on Friday. He’ll wrap up his fourth and fifth interviews on Saturday, completing his first round of meetings with teams searching for head coaches.

The five teams that have shown interest in Morris are the Chargers, Commanders, Seahawks, Falcons and Panthers, making him one of the most sought-after coaches on the market this offseason.

The Rams would love to retain him as their defensive coordinator, but McVay, Snead, Demoff and others know it’s time for him to land his second head coaching opportunity.

Les Snead: ‘Too early to tell’ if Rams will make pick in 1st round this year

The Rams are slated to pick in Round 1 for the first time since 2016, but will they keep that pick come draft time?

Sean McVay has gone through seven drafts as the Los Angeles Rams’ head coach, but he’s never made a selection in the first round. Each year, they either traded picks to acquire veterans such as Jalen Ramsey, Brandin Cooks and Matthew Stafford, or they traded back out of the first round to accumulate picks.

The last time the Rams picked in Round 1 was in 2016 when they traded up to No. 1 overall for Jared Goff, one year before McVay arrived.

This year, the Rams are slated to pick 19th overall, but it’s not certain that they’ll still have that pick come April 25 when the first round begins. Les Snead is known for trading his picks and it’s very possible he’ll either swap No. 19 for a proven veteran or trade out of the first round altogether again.

During a conference call with reporters on Friday, Snead said it’s “too early to tell” if the Rams will actually use that pick in the first round.

The Rams have several holes to fill on their roster, especially if they opt not to bring back many of their pending free agents, so it’s logical that they’d trade back to acquire more picks like they did last year.

They could also stand pat and draft an edge rusher, cornerback or even quarterback in the first round, looking ahead to the future beyond Matthew Stafford.

Everything should be on the table for Snead and the Rams.