The Rams Have Created Their Own Coaching Farm System

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. In Major League Baseball, a franchise's system of minor league afflilates that serve as development centers are known as a farm system. Each system in theory is despigned to produce young players with promising potential, who could serve the team in the event they're called up.

This developmental system has been a trademark of baseball for years and has provided the pathway for the game's top stars.

The Los Angeles Rams are taking that concept and using it for the coaching staff. As other NFL teams have plucked assistants from Sean McVay for top roles, McVay has created a coaching staff farm system that brings in collegiate assistants to grow and eventually replace outgoing coaches.

Now the system has grown to incorperate former players as members of the staff. With Brian Allen and Robert Woods taking fulltime coaching roles, McVay now has another avenue to replace critical members of his staff. McVay spoke about the two earlier in the week.

“Just his feel on the grass," stated McVay. "I think most importantly, this guy's passionate about the game. With what we put on the center position, he always looked at it as a coach. He’s extremely conscientious. He had a great way of being able to bring people with him. He studied the game like a coach when he was playing. Once he got into it, he did a great job with some of the roles and responsibilities we gave him last year. Where I felt him the most was on the grass. I mean, the passion he has for working with some of the younger offensive linemen or even his ability to see things in real time, whether that be in practice or games. "

"I love the rapport that he had working alongside [Offensive Line Coach] Ryan Wendell. There's obviously a familiarity that he and [Assistant Offensive Line Coach] Zak Kromer have with one another. When Brian was playing…Zak’s been here from the beginning. There were a lot of things that made me excited. As it relates to Robert [Woods], he and I talked. We've stayed in touch. He had expressed some interest in potentially getting into coaching as he was getting towards the latter parts of his career. When he called and said he was ready to make that transition, I talked to him about what the role would include and asked him if he felt good about it. I think he'll be tremendous and he'll be around great guys."

Nov 26, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen (55) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"Eric Yarber is as good as it gets to be able to train guys with his energy and his experience. [He’ll work with] Rob Calabrese and then there'll be some other guys with Nate [Scheelhaase] and Dave [Ragone]. I think it's a great staff and Robert will provide tremendous value to those receivers. Also, what he was as a player, both Brian and Robert represented competitive, tough mentally and physically. All the things that we want to be about. These guys were great examples of Rams and that's why I think it'll translate because they know what we're about culturally. They have the same beliefs as us.”

With Yarber being a veteran coach, Calabrese expected to be an offensive coordinator candidate after the season as well as Ragone in a playcalling role, Woods and Allen could be the next top members of the staff. Not like they need much of an onboarding period.