GM Les Snead Hesitant To Label Rams As Rebuilding Team
It's obvious to see that the 2023 season will be very different for the Los Angeles Rams compared to previous ones.
L.A. had a rough go of it in 2022 after winning the Super Bowl the previous season, finishing 5-12 with several long-term injuries. This offseason has also been tough, as the Rams have let go of stars such as Jalen Ramsey to try and clear up their salary cap situation. With their dramatic roster overhaul and much lower expectations, many have labelled the Rams as a rebuilding team for the 2023 season.
Don't mention that to general manager Les Snead, though. While appearing on the Rich Eisen Show on Thursday, the Rams executive refuted the idea that his team was rebuilding.
"Maybe we need to bring in a polling service to somewhat label what we're trying to do... It's tough to rebuild when you have some of the better players at their positions still on the team," Snead said.
The players Snead is referring to shouldn't come as any surprise to Rams fans, those being quarterback Matthew Stafford, receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive lineman Aaron Donald. Even with the roster around them looking dramatically different, these three stars give the Rams a fighting chance.
Later on, Snead described his vision for the team this offseason and heading into the 2023 regular season.
"What I said we needed to do and we thought was best for the team, we did take a step back in terms of how we acquire players and things like that and we said 'OK, maybe this year it's best to utilize our draft picks on younger players so we can grow and evolve. We can utilize this year to engineer a healthier cap situation so that when we do feel an opportunity to strike, to attack to be aggressive, we're definitely capable and have the ability to do that.'"
Honestly, that doesn't sound too different from a rebuild. Drafting younger players and getting out of a bad cap situation are staples of such a period.
However, the difference is the intent behind it. The Rams aren't trying to compete for top draft picks, they still want to try for the playoffs. It just so happens that shedding salary was the best way to get closer to that goal given their current situation.
Will Snead's approach work out? Only time will tell.
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