Mina Kimes explains how Rams GM Les Snead pulled off a 'masterclass'
Mina Kimes explains how Rams GM Les Snead pulled off a 'masterclass'
Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead is one of the most successful active front office executives in the NFL.
After rocky start to his tenure, he's navigated the Rams to six playoffs, two Super Bowls and won one. Snead has done so despite trading away countless first-round picks and losing key franchise stars along the way.
ESPN's Mina Kimes ranked the Rams as her No. 4 front offices in the league based on the idea that Snead was able to build a winning team around veterans while simultaneously draft stars to build a youthful core for the future.
"The idea that a team could both be all in with older players but then rebuilding at the same time with younger players — the Rams did it," Kimes said on her podcast. "You have to give Les Snead all the credit in the world. The fact that they did 'F them picks,' won a Super Bowl and immediately became competitive again through the strength in their draft picks is incredible."
Kimes specifically mentioned how well Snead fixed the Rams' defensive issues immediately after Aaron Donald retired from the NFL — a feat Snead himself said was a tough task that involved a lot of players and picks.
"The defense post-Aaron Donald was supposed to go off a cliff," Kimes added, "The fact that it didn't is Les Snead's masterclass."
The Rams will once again be competing for a division crown and possible another Super Bowl appearances after L.A. brought Matthew Stafford back and switched up some key positions across the roster. The defense gets another year to gel together, too, after finishing the regular season with three consecutive games from Weeks 14 to 17 allowing fewer than 10 points.
A lot of that falls on Sean McVay's coaching, but Snead's ability to put together a roster of quality veterans and young players is a testament to his roster-building strategy. However, the next endeavor will be what he's able to pull off in the post-Stafford world in a year or two.
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