Latest news with #BehindtheGrind
USA Today
03-06-2025
- General
- USA Today
Sean McVay changed one word in the Rams' 'We not me' slogan and here's why
Sean McVay changed one word in the Rams' 'We not me' slogan and here's why McVay is changing one word in the Rams' slogan this year Sean McVay has built a strong culture in Los Angeles since being hired by the Rams as a 30-year-old head coach in 2017 – the youngest in NFL history. He's commanded the room from Day 1, going as far as studying his own team meetings to see how he can improve for next time. One of the best ways he leads is by putting the team before any individual, summarized succinctly by the slogan, 'We not me.' It's been printed on T-shirts for coaches and players, and also plastered on the walls of the Rams' headquarters. But in 2025, that slogan will look ever so slightly different. Instead of reading "We not me," it will say "We then me." Why? It has to do with also taking care of oneself, in addition to helping the team. Here's an excerpt from a feature story by Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic on how former college coach Chris Petersen influenced this shift from McVay. Influenced in part by Petersen, McVay said he will change the messaging and signage around the Rams' practice facilities this offseason. For years, his slogan and the starting point for his team culture has been 'We not me.' Now, it will say 'We then me.' The initial idea was to prioritize team over self. But, as McVay learned firsthand, when subjected to unique stress without constant maintenance, the self can decay — and maybe even destroy the collective. This change was actually spotted in the latest episode of "Behind the Grind" where Les Snead was sitting in the Rams' building with the new slogan in the background. It's a small adjustment but one McVay feels is necessary after losing himself a bit during the Rams' disastrous 2022 season. He didn't like the person he became that year and nearly stepped away from coaching altogether. He's since started to ensure he's taking better care of himself in addition to leading the team, creating better work-life balance and preventing himself from wearing down too quickly. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage!
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Here's what Sean McVay and Les Snead said privately about every Rams pick during '25 draft
Here's what Sean McVay and Les Snead said privately about every Rams pick during '25 draft "I didn't think we'd be able to get him. That was my top player for today.' Now that the Los Angeles Rams are about a month removed from the 2025 NFL Draft, we've heard Les Snead and Sean McVay talk about the players they landed multiple times. They couldn't be more excited about their six-player class, though that's probably how every general manager and head coach feels about their haul. What's really telling is how the Rams talked about these players during the draft before they were picked, or even immediately after the selections were made. Thanks to Episode 2 of "Behind the Grind", we know exactly how Snead and McVay feel about each of the six players they drafted. Below is a collection of quotes from the GM and head coach during the draft on every player the Rams picked, from Terrance Ferguson to Konata Mumpfield. Round 2, No. 46: TE Terrance Ferguson, Oregon It was evident that from the start of Day 2, the Rams wanted Ferguson on their team. He was their target after trading back to No. 46 and they were thrilled to get him in the second round. 'Let's just say it's Ferguson, we get him,' McVay said at the beginning of Round 2. Snead was completely bought in because of how confident McVay was about his fit in the Rams offense. Snead: 'I can actually say if I was ever confident in taking a risk knowing you would be pissed losing the player, this is as confident as I've ever been.' McVay saw a vision for Ferguson from the first time he watched his tape, which just goes to show how much he liked the Oregon tight end in this year's class. McVay: 'We have too much conviction, right? No doubt. You know how I feel. From the first (expletive) time we put this guy on, there was a vision.' With Ferguson joining Tyler Higbee at tight end, McVay sounds adamant about running more two-TE sets out of 12 personnel. McVay: 'Little 12 personnel now, Tony?!' Round 3, No. 90: OLB Josaiah Stewart, Michigan Externally, edge rusher wasn't viewed as a major need for the Rams but Snead and McVay both wanted to address the position and they feel they hit a home run with Stewart. Snead seemingly loved Stewart's tape from the start. Snead: 'I love the way Stewart plays.' McVay: 'You've always loved him.' McVay was right there with Snead. He especially likes the violence Stewart plays with on the edge. And having come away with Ferguson and Stewart with their first two picks, McVay was jacked in the war room. McVay: 'I had a lot of love for him right when I put eyes on him. This is a good pick. This is a good pick, man. There was a couple guys that stood out that add to the (expletive) violence of our front, and he was one of them. You had a lot of love for him and I second that. If you said a couple weeks ago that we'd pull off Ferguson and this guy, we'd feel good about that.' McVay to Snead: 'This is like (Braden) Fiske and (Jared) Verse. This guy transferred up, overachiever. That's right, Les!' Round 4, No. 117: RB Jarquez Hunter, Auburn There was a report during the draft that Hunter was the Rams' top offensive target on Day 3 and that report was unquestionably true. From the beginning of Round 4, McVay had his eye on Hunter. And Snead, being an Auburn alumnus, was in lockstep with his head coach about what Hunter could bring to the offense. McVay: 'All things stay the same, Hunter, right?' Snead: 'I'm a huge Auburn fan. We talked about an explosive back. I'm a huge fan of Hunter. Favorite running back.' McVay: 'There is no question that's who I want.' After the Rams traded up and landed Hunter, McVay felt like it was a great pick. McVay: 'Don't overthink that. That's what we wanted. That's one we wanted. That's good.' He didn't think the Rams would even be able to get him unless they traded up, calling Hunter his 'top player' on Day 3. McVay: 'I didn't think we'd be able to get him today unless we did that. I didn't think we'd be able to get him. That was my top player for today.' Round 5, No. 148: DL Ty Hamilton, Ohio State Snead and McVay didn't say much about Hamilton in the episode but they're confident enough in the player that they traded up to get him. McVay targeted him, asking Snead, 'What do you want to do to try to get this guy?' They gave up the 195th pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder to move up 47 spots for Hamilton, so there's no doubt they love the player. McVay: 'That's good. That's good, good, good right there.' Snead: 'Oh man, let's go.' Round 5, No. 172: LB Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss While the Rams were waiting to make their next pick, they flipped on some film of Paul. Needing some help at inside linebacker, they were looking to add a more athletic player and that's what they're getting in Paul. McVay sees an aggressive, fast linebacker who attacks the ball and makes plays. McVay: 'I like his movement, I like his trigger. He plays faster. I just see a more urgent athlete.' Snead: 'He's a smoother guy.' McVay: 'Like, when he sees it, he can go get it different.' When the pick was in, McVay was pumped. He was happy about the first five picks as a whole, and there was still one more pick to make. McVay: 'That's a good (expletive) pick, man. That is five good players we've pulled off, man. That's awesome. I like that. That's really good.' Round 7, No. 242: WR Konata Mumpfield, Pittsburgh With their final pick at No. 242, the Rams targeted a receiver. Like they did with Paul, McVay and Snead watched some tape on Mumpfield out of Pitt. McVay was seemingly blown away by some of the traits he brings to the table, viewing him as a great pick in the seventh round. He was confident Mumpfield was the best receiver still on the board, saying it wasn't even close. McVay: 'He's the best receiver. That's not close. He makes some impressive adjustments too, now. Can change his route tempo. This is impressive. I like the way he's wired, for sure. Mumpfield seems like a good pick in the seventh.' Post-draft After the Rams wrapped things up with their final pick, McVay quickly reflected on their six-player haul. He told Snead that the Rams got exactly what they wanted, addressing the positions they wanted to fill, while still going after the top players on their board. McVay: 'You talk about using exactly the picks for what we said, while still acknowledging the best players on our board. You go D-line, ILB, and then you go offensive skill: running back, tight end, receiver. That's exactly how we said we wanted to play this.' Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage!
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Watch: Rams release awesome behind-the-scenes footage from the 2025 draft
Watch: Rams release awesome behind-the-scenes footage from the 2025 draft One of the best parts of the offseason each year is the rollout of 'Behind the Grind', which is the Los Angeles Rams' video series where fans get an exclusive look inside the building – from free agency to the draft to training camp. The Rams released Episode 2 of this season and it mostly centered around the 2025 NFL Draft. It started out with Jared Verse receiving his Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and then transitioned into preparing for the draft, setting up at the LAFD headquarters and then making the picks. It's fascinating to see how Les Snead and Sean McVay work in the war room, with the help of Tony Pastoors and Nicole Blake when it comes to making trades and moving around the board. The Rams traded back from No. 26 to 46 in a deal with the Atlanta Falcons, and it's clear they couldn't have been more excited about getting a 2026 first-rounder in return. 'That was great. Couldn't have worked out any better,' Snead said. It's also clear the Rams were targeting Terrance Ferguson all along after trading back. 'The question is, how do we get back up in here, while staying at 46 and 90, if at all possible. Let's just say it's Ferguson, we get him,' McVay said as Day 2 was getting underway. The Rams always have complete buy-in when they draft a player, making that selection with conviction and a vision for how he's going to contribute and fit in on the depth chart. That was the case with Ferguson, as well as every other player the Rams drafted. There's no question about that with Josaiah Stewart, who McVay loves. 'This is like (Braden) Fiske and (Jared) Verse. This guy transferred up, overachiever,' he said, before excitedly saying, 'That's right, Les!' and playfully shoving his partner in crime. The Rams love the six players they came away with in this class and this behind-the-scenes footage only makes that more obvious.
